X Men Evolution: The Next Steps
by X Paradigm
Summary: 3 years after the battle against Apocalypse, the original X men return from college to reunite with the new team. As the summer begins, so do the many challenges Xavier glimpsed in Apocalypse's mind.
1. A New Day

"HRRRRRRRRARRRRR!!!"

The mutant snarled as he ripped into the robot's armour yet again. Unfortunately, even with all the gaping holes, the damned thing was still not slowing down.

"These damned things just don't die." he grumbled. _Unless …_

Time to change tactics. As the robot turned and aimed its hand, the mutant was already scrambling up that same arm, using his adamantium claws to keep his grip while the robot began twisting and turning, attempting to shake him off.

Without another word, he pushed off and leaped, clawed hands first, towards the robotic head, and was rewarded with the sight of six adamantium blades sinking directly into the mechanical eyes.

Not yet satisfied, he hung on and began laying into the machine, slashing and ripping out chunks of armour and circuitry until the machine finally went down. For good measure, he added a few cuts to make sure it _stayed _down.

With the immediate threat over, he chanced a look around.

A growl entered his throat as he saw the mansion, his home, his responsibility, collapsing under the flames that had by now spread to every room and corner.

No other mutants were in sight.

He, Logan AKA Wolverine, teacher at Xavier's School for the Gifted, self-appointed protector of its kids, had allowed it to happen. Where were the kids? Or the other professors, for that matter? More importantly, why the hell hadn't Wolverine been there?

A flash of pain across his back snapped him out of his reverie. _Dumb animal_ he scolded himself. _Serves you right for not keeping your eyes open_. Barely slowing down, Logan flipped to his feet and faced his attacker.

Correction, attackers.

Logan growled in rage and disbelief. The mansion was burning to the ground, and the creeps had still sent another army of Sentinels.

"Haven't you tin creeps done enough?!" he screamed at the army. There was no answer. "Fine, we'll talk my way" he snarled as he charged toward the Sentinels, claws extended, making the first leap.

Into the floor.

"Uungh!" he grunted as he picked himself up, watching the simulation terminate itself.

Hearing the safety door open behind him, he turned to face the intruder, growling "Whoever this is, you owe me some fast answers …"

"I've got three, Logan. One, you left the safeties off again. Two, you've been in there since 6 this morning. Three, you desperately need a new hobby anyway." A smirk snuck onto his face as he found himself facing Ororo Munroe, another teacher at the institute.

"It's my time, ain't it Ro?" he countered, giving her his best glare.

Unfazed, Ororo simply glared back before responding. "All right. If you don't want to spend it at the party that started 5 minutes ago, I can simply knock you out until it's over." Electricity began to gather in her hands as her eyes whitened over. "You might at least get some rest then."

Growling, Logan backed off a bit. "Hey, lighten up, will ya. Without frying me." He quickly added, and was rewarded with a smirk appearing on Ororo's face. He sighed, "Look, 'Ro, you know I ain't the partyin' type."

Her face softened. "I know." It was true, she knew him at least as well as anyone at the institute, even the psychics. Taking his arm and dragging him with her, she continued "but you are an X Man, so you, as much as any of us, should be there."

"All right, all right" he grumbled pulling his arm free. He didn't like being touched, and if it hadn't been Ororo … "Will ya at least let me wash off the session?"

"Allow me." Without warning, a column of water struck him, soaking him to the adamantium bone. After calling off the water, Ororo gave Logan an amused look and added "Now you're dripping on the floor." One blast of warm, Chinnok winds took care of that.

Looking at the windswept Wolverine, Ororo snickered "It suits you Logan."

Despite himself, Wolverine grinned. "Not bad. Just a little warning next time, hm?"

Smiling now, Ororo grabbed his arm again. "Come on, we're both late."

"With this crowd? We might still be the first one's there."

"Too true."

--------------------

"**Just this morning, Mayor Kelly, a prominent voice in the campaign for mutant registration, made a startling announcement."**

"**I've been working as Bayville's Mayor for the past 3 years, trying to protect the human race from the mutant menace. But Bayville is not the only town plagued by mind-readers and walking weapons that call themselves 'human'. Mutants exist all over the United States and the world. We may have contained them here for now, since they tried to wipe us out, but"** Kelly leaned into the camera for dramatic emphasis **"this struggle for our species' survival is far from over, and I intend to take my fight where I can do the most good for the ****normal**** humans. Therefore, at this very moment, I am declaring my candidacy for the United States Senate! "**

Rapturous applause greeted the Mayor, the irony of which was not lost on one of the men watching the announcement.

_It too often seems to be the people who invite their own oppressors upon them_ reflected Charles Xavier, founder of the Xavier institute. He let out a sigh. Since the battle against Apocalypse, the anti-mutant hysteria had only intensified. After nearly being wiped out by the ancient omega mutant, human beings were directing their anger at any mutant they could find. On the official level, there were talks of creating a nationwide mutant registration program, ostensibly to 'help the unfortunate mistakes of nature' or 'keep them from running wild.' Xavier almost snorted at the thought. _And what about the human bigots running wild right now? _Xavier had little doubt that, once mutants were forced to reveal themselves, if they were not locked away immediately, the violent mobs would be the first to greet them.

Trouble was, speaking out against registration inevitably invited accusations of hidden plots, mutant favouritism, and any other theories Kelly or his supporters could throw at him. Xavier let out another sigh. _Will it never end?_

"Single-mindedness is all well and good in cows or baboons; in an animal claiming to belong to Shakespeare's species, it is simply disgraceful" came the good-natured voice Xavier knew well.

"Hank" said Xavier as he turned to face his visitor. "I didn't even hear you arrive."

"Not a good sign. You might need a checkup" replied soon-to-be Doctor Henry McCoy, popularly known as Beast, as he walked up the walls and crossed the ceiling. Though he had always been the team's unofficial doctor, in the last three years he had decided to 'brush up' on his medical skills. At the moment, he was months away from completing his residency, which NYU had allowed him to perform at the Xavier Institute. "Though I think I have just the thing for what ails you."

With that, Hank reached down with one blue furry paw and pulled the plug on the television, wiping Kelly's rant from the screen. "Not what you should be focusing on, especially today."

"You're right, Hank." Xavier rubbed his eyes. Seeing the stress remain on the professor's face, Beast decided further diagnosis was in order.

"But …?"

Looking up, Xavier admitted defeat. "It just seems to me that if I ignore Kelly's campaign for a moment, then …"

"Then you find yourself trying to catch up a bit later. Perish the thought."

"It's no joking matter, Hank!" Hank was surprised to notice the Professor's voice and colour both rising. "This is what I've been fighting since Magneto and that Sentinel exposed us to the world! If we let it go unchecked, it could destroy us all!"

Hank held the silence that followed and then spoke carefully. "Perhaps. But something tells me they won't manage that in one afternoon. Therefore, I think the mutant race just might survive you stepping away from the television and joining the students outside." The smile returned. "Besides, I thought today was for celebrating what you've worked for."

Xavier managed a smile. "True enough."

"Great, then let's get you outside before Kelly finds his way back onto the television," Hank stated firmly as he finally dropped to the floor and began manoeuvring Xavier out through the office door.

"Hank!" Hank and Xavier turned to see Ororo and Wolverine walking their way, Wolverine looking a bit ragged.

"What happened to you?" Hank asked him, an amused look on his face.

"Under the weather," Logan grunted.

Ignoring Logan's dry joke, Ororo looked directly at Hank. "Hank, I thought you were outside!"

"I thought you were," replied a confused Hank.

Xavier chuckled. "Seems you both had tardy guests to attend to."

"But …" Ororo replied, "then who is watching the students?"

Silence followed.

For an entire two seconds.

BOOM!!

"Oh no" muttered Hank as he began running down the halls, followed closely by a snarling Wolverine and an equally angry Ororo.

Xavier could only laugh again. _Never a dull moment._

--------------------

Outside, the group of seniors were gathered, waiting for the late arrivals. Since many of the original members had gone to college after graduating, the younger mutants had become the core of the X men. Though the years since the battle with Apocalypse had been relatively quiet, there were plenty of anti-mutant riots requiring the team to step in. Fortunately, the new team had acquitted itself well in these incidents, proving themselves every bit as professional and reliable as the original X-men, all of whom had had left for college.

At heart, however, these mutants were still high school teenagers and, at the moment, their thoughts were elsewhere. Specifically, on dodging the firecrackers being tossed by the returning student Tabitha.

"Tabitha!" grunted Roberto, the solar-powered Brazilian as he ducked from her latest salvo. "You're pushing it!"

"Come on, guys, you said you were tired of waiting!" she laughed as she aimed a salvo at Bobby, the ever-cocky senior who had been the first among them to join the new team. (mainly for stowing away and getting into one of the x men's fights.

"Didn't mean we wanted to dodge your firecrackers, Boom!" replied Bobby as he formed an ice shield to ward off Tabitha's bombs.

"Have to liven this crowd up some way, Ice Boy!" Laughing, Tabitha tossed one at Bobby's feet before aiming at Rahne, the half-wolf whose mother Moira had returned to the Institute. The young Scot simply stood her ground and growled at Tabitha.

"Careful, lass. Ye might make me mad."

After the slightest pause (she knew what Rahne meant by 'mad'), the blonde shifted her aim towards the youngest student, Jamie. By reflex, Jamie split into several clones. "Is that your answer to everything, little man?" The crowd of Jamies shrugged; it wasn't like he had any other power.

"How about this?" came a voice behind her. Turning to face the new voice, Tabitha was greeted with a blinding, colourful ray from yellow gloves she knew all too well. Jubilee, another student who had been pulled out by her stupid parents, was finally back at Xavier's school, though she'd been quiet about why her parents had finally changed their minds.

"Hey! No fair!" Tabitha shouted as she stumbled back …

… right onto a newly formed ice patch. As she lost her footing, she reached out to grab …

… the fruit bowl, which fell with her.

SPLAT!!!

Though her eyesight hadn't yet returned, _stupid Jubilee_, the mess she could feel covering her face and the raucous laughter she could hear told her enough.

"You're all getting it for that one!" she snapped as she created and ignited a larger bomb …

… which was promptly snatched out of her hands by Warren Worthington, who immediately heaved it with all his strength into the air. _Dumb kid_ he thought as the bomb exploded in mid air, knocking him back. _Okay, this is getting out of hand. Where are the teachers?_

The rapidly darkening sky and rumbling thunder was all the answer they would ever need.

"Oh _man!_"

"I think she heard that one Tabitha."

"Are you kidding! The whole town must've heard it!"

"We are _so _in for it."

'It' was soon out the door, one growling like a cornered animal, the other with the cold white-eyed look the students knew well.

Trouble.

--------------------

"Is it just meh, or did we pass this street already?"

"I, like, know where I'm going, Rogue."

"Yeah, Ah can tell."

"_You_ wanna drive?"

"Lahk Ah'd know any better. Seriously, how much can a town change in eight months? Ah don't even recognize this street."

"It probably got burnt down in anozher riot. Man, do zhose people ever quit?"

"They haven't yet," sighed Rogue. Even at NYU, bigots seemed to crawl out of the woodwork. Once the word had spread that she was a mutant, the 'harmless frat pranks' seemed to stretch past frosh week and well into final exams. After her first year of bricks through her window and spray paints on her door, Rogue had had enough, and would have dropped out then and there if Xavier hadn't talked to her and helped her find her own place near campus, making the next year that much more bearable.

It hadn't been much rosier for Kurt or Kitty. Kurt, who had been studying theology in Berlin, had nearly fallen victim to full-fledged lynch mobs on several occasions when his image inducer faltered. And Kitty, who had just finished her first year of political science at Brown, had nearly gotten herself expelled when she accidentally phased through her floor into the room below.

Higher education, indeed.

For several minutes, the van went silent as the young X men mulled over their recent experiences. Finally, Kurt spoke up.

"I zhink I see zhe mansion now."

"Where?" Kitty asked. As far as she could tell, they were nowhere near the mansion, unless it had been remodelled too …

Patting her on the shoulder, Kurt pointed "See zhe dark cloud?"

Kitty finally spotted it. "Ohh …"

"Great," Rogue mumbled. "the party's started and Storm's already in a nasty mood."

"We'd better get moving, then," Kitty replied as she pushed down on the accelerator.

"Oh, no."

--------------------

From its point in the sky, the cloud could be spotted by any motorist in New York.

Including two more late arrivals.

"I wonder what they did this time."

"All I can say is, I'm not sorry I missed it."

"Scott …"

The former team leader allowed his half smile. "Okay, maybe a little."

"Come on Scott, this little X-Versary is all I've heard about since January."

"I haven't talked about it that much!"

Jean merely tapped a finger on her temple.

Scott blushed. "Right." After a short, comfortable pause, he went on. "It's just that, well, the X-men's always been the biggest part of my life, you know? And now, with us at college and the new team there …"

Jean didn't need her telepathic powers to pick up on the fact that Scott was still coming to terms with the changes he'd taken on. Going to school, leaving the team … it sometimes struck her how a normal life would seem so strange.

Placing a hand on his arm, she told him softly "None of us have stopped being X men, Scott. You always knew we'd have our own futures to move onto."

Scott sighed. "Yeah."

Jean smirked. "Besides, can you imagine trying to get any privacy at the mansion?"

Though his cheeks pinkened slightly – he never was one for romance in public – Scott grinned back. "In a house full of teenagers with mutant powers and recently boosted egos?"

"Scott …" Jean warned

"I know, I know" he conceded. It was true; though the younger students had been his biggest headache at the institute, they were brave kids in their own right, and had earned their spots as X men.

_And don't forget, they're young adults now, like we were _Jean added in the form of communication only they shared.

_I don't know if we ever made Storm __**this**__ mad_ Scott responded, nodding toward the dark cloud that continued to hover over the Institute that was finally in sight.

_And what about when we abandoned ship on our cruise?_

"_Good point_."

--------------------

At the institute, things were finally beginning to calm down. Since nothing major was damaged except the fruit salad, the party could go on. But, as Logan made it clear, the students could expect to be busy handling chores and extra training sessions for the next month, at least.

"And _you_," Logan snarled, turning his attention to Tabitha. "You just volunteered to clean up after the party."

"What?! By myself?!" Tabitha shouted.

"Shall we make you wax the jets too?" It took one look at Ororo's expression for Tabitha to realize she was serious.

"Fine."

It was at that moment that Logan noticed a familiar sports car pulling into the driveway. "About damn time" he grumbled.

--------------------

Scott stared at the mansion as he and Jean got out of the car. "Hasn't changed much, has it?" he said softly.

Jean gave him a sympathetic look and was about to respond when the front door opened and Professor Xavier wheeled out. "I thought I heard somebody out here."

"Professor!" Jean was already dashing over to the man, wrapping him in as tight an embrace as she could manage over a wheelchair. She only let go when Scott stepped in, also grinning widely, to greet Xavier with a friendly handshake.

"Welcome back, you two. I'm afraid the mansion just hasn't been the same without you here."

"I'll say," a new voice grumbled from the fence. "Since ya ran off, it's just been me, 'Ro, and the furball handling these crazy kids.

"You haven't changed a bit," grinned Scott.

"Well? Aren't you going to say hello?" smirked Jean, dragging a startled Logan over and giving him a tight hug.

"Careful, Red," he growled good-naturedly as he shook hands with Scott. "The lunatics out back don't need any more ideas."

"As if they'd take any from us, anyway." Scott joked.

"No kidding." Logan muttered.

"Anyway," the Professor interrupted. "Everyone's waiting out back for the moment." After a short pause, he asked "Do either of you know where Kitty's group is?"

SCREEEEEECHHH!!!!!

"LOOK OUT!!" shouted Logan diving to the side and coming up in a combat stance.

"I believe our tardy guests have arrived," Xavier observed much more calmly. The group watched as the van careened towards the nearby cars.

"Oh no," muttered Jean as she readied her powers.

Fortunately, this proved unnecessary as the van finally screeched to a stop next to Scott's convertible.

The passengers were only too eager to hop out.

"That is POSITIVELY the last tahme Ah let you drive me ANYWHERE!"

"Like, come on Rogue. It wasn't that bad …"

"Speak for yourself," moaned Kurt as he rubbed his stomach.

"About time you got here," called Logan.

Hearing the familiar growl, Rogue turned and grinned. "Well, speak o' the devil. We are still alive!"

Offering a rare grin of his own, Logan wrapped the young woman in a tight hug, careful not to touch her face. "Nice to see ya too, Stripes." Though, to him, all the X men were his kids, Rogue had been the most like a daughter to him, especially after he'd helped her through some especially tough times. Just as they let go, Logan found himself ambushed by a blue and pink blur.

"OH, MY GOD! It is, like, so good to be back, I missed you all so much. Oh, and I'm like, soooo sorry we're late, it's just we got lost in the city and …"

"Half-pint …" grunted Logan, trying to pry her off.

"What?" Kitty asked, finally letting go.

Taking a couple breaths, Logan asked "What the hell have they been feeding you at school?"

Giggling uncontrollably, Kitty could only manage "Like, Mr. Logan …"

"Breathe, Kitty." Scott smirked

"Now that we're all here, why don't we join the party?" put in Xavier.

"Just lead the way. Come on Kurt … Kurt?" Rogue looked around, seeing no sign of her blue, fuzzy half-brother.

--------------------

"HI GUYS!" called out Kurt as he appeared directly on top of the central table.

"Hey, blue!" replied Tabitha, a wicked grin on her face.

"Tabitha," warned Ororo.

"What?" Tabitha replied, giving her best innocent look.

"Ewwww," Jubilee mumbled to nearby Rahne. "Now our food will taste like that yucky demon dust he always brings with him."

"Quit complainin', lass," Rahne told her, crinkling her nose. "At least ye don't have to smell it with an enhanced nose." Jubilee turned pale as the thought entered her mind.

Meanwhile Kurt had hopped off the tables and landed in front of Ororo and Tabitha. "Don't tell me she's in trouble already!"

"And I was on a hot streak too; 3 weeks without detention, extra training, or any of that," Tabitha grumbled. Though she had never completely taken to the tight rules of the 'geek squad', as she had called it when she left, Tabitha had finally returned on a more permanent basis after Apocalypse. When asked why, she would only say "Where else do we get into trouble without starting it?"

Just then, the others arrived. "Ah, good, the gangs all here," smiled Hank as he hopped up to the back steps. "Okay boys and girls," he shouted. "The waiting is over, let the feast begin!"

As the impatient, starved students began to tuck into the buffet before them, Hank dropped to the ground and sauntered over to the group at the gate.

"I was wondering when you'd all arrive."

"So were we," replied Rogue, drawing a glare from Kitty.

"So this is the new team," Scott murmured, looking somewhat wistfully at the young mutants.

It didn't take a telepath to deduce Scott's thoughts. Hank put a hand on his shoulder. "No, this is the team we have while you guys are away."

"He's right, Scott," Ororo added as she joined in. "As far as we're concerned, you're all still X-men."

Scott smiled in thanks at the weather goddess, who was now being tackled by Kitty.

"Aaahh, Ororo, it is, like, SO good to see you again!" Letting go to appraise the older woman, Kitty added "And you look SO great! Like, do you ever age?"

Smiling despite herself, Ororo replied "Do you, Kitty?"

As Kitty blushed, Hank put in "Alright, come on; better get to the food before it's all gone."

"No kidding" Scott muttered as they headed over to the tables. "It's like breakfast in an open area."

"Some things never change," grinned Jean.

Busy eating, mingling, and enjoying their reunion, none of the mutants noticed the man watching them from across the street, holding a communicator to his face.

"I think that's all of them," he whispered. "We're a go."

--------------------

"So, uh, have you seen Lance around?" Kitty asked Ororo as she grabbed the last pastry.

Ororo's face hardened. "They're still at the boarding house." Though they had helped out in the battle against Apocalypse, the Brotherhood still refused to have anything to do with the X men. "Have you heard from him?"

Kitty gave a rare scowl. "No."

Though Lance and Kitty had attempted to restart their relationship after Apocalypse, neither seemed able to work past their different lives. Kitty moving away to college seemed to seal that fact. Unfortunately, for Kitty, nothing was that certain.

"I'm sorry Kitty …"

Kitty shrugged. "Hey, it's nobody's fault." Looking at Ororo, she continued. "Speaking of which, how's Evan doing?"

Ororo's face fell. "I haven't heard from him." Like the Brotherhood, Evan had also separated from the X men and gone back to the Morlocks.

"Have you, uh, told his parents?" Kitty asked hesitantly.

Ororo looked away. "They know."

Seeing the sky begin to darken, Kitty quickly reached out and grabbed Ororo's hand. "All right, now I _really_ need a soda."

A few rows down, Kurt was busily filling his plates with every bit of meat, cheese, and veggies he could reach.

"Easy, there; we've still got a crowd to feed here," Hank laughed as he sauntered over with his own plate.

"I haven't eaten all day!" Kurt protested. When Hank simply continued to stare, Kurt lowered his plate and confessed. "All right, not since breakfast at least. But it vas airplane food!"

Hank chuckled as he began to stack the meat on his own plate. "So, how are the men of God treating you?"

Kurt shuddered. "They sometimes remind me of herr Logan, especially during Bible study."

"Oh dear." Hank thought on different topics. "So; any word from Amanda?"

Kurt's face darkened. "Only by phone." Before heading off to college, he and Amanda had continued seeing each other discreetly until her parents had walked in on them. Despite their renewed outrage, Amanda had immediately called Kurt after being grounded indefinitely.

"_I'm still not giving up on us Kurt. Are you?_"

"_Nein_" _he had answered._

Since then, their relationship had become long-distance, but otherwise unchanged; they were still as devoted to one another as they had ever been.

Elsewhere, Scott had found his way over to Sam Guthrie. "Hey, Sam. I just had to say congratulations."

Sam blushed slightly. "Ya heard, didn' ya?"

"Well I just had to know who was taking my old spot. How'd they decide, anyway?"

"He sucked up to the right people" Bobby grumbled as he passed the conversation. Scott watched him saunter off, then turned back to see Sam's face harden.

"What's with him?"

"He thought he was a shoe-in for team leader, 'cause o' 'field seniority'." Sam stated, still glaring at Bobby. "All for stowing away."

Scott could only shake his head. Personally, he was glad Bobby had been passed over; though a talented fighter, the kid was a terminal show-off who seemed to abhor rules at every turn. At that moment, the Professor's voice entered their heads.

_Could I have your attention, please, for just a moment?_ Heads turned toward the Professor, who had taken a spot on the front porch. "Thank you. I know none of you wants the afternoon broken up by any lengthy monologue, so I'll be brief." Looking over his students, a smile came unbidden to his face. "It's good to see all of you here, in one spot. There have been a lot of changes since I last saw all of you here. Even I have not yet caught up with them all." He chuckled. "But, no matter the changes, at least one thing has always remained constant."

"This team, no matter the danger, has always been there, no matter the risk. Not only for the lives of other mutants, but also their hopes for the life that they deserve, despite all the rants to the contrary." Xavier face fell slightly as he though of the near-hysteria that continued for the past two years. Only the X men's stance had kept things slightly calm. He shook his head. "But enough on that. Today we celebrate our fondest memories," he added, nodding to the original x men.

Looking at the current x men, he continued: "our latest achievements,"

Raising his glass toward Angel and the larger mutant next to him, he concluded "and our hopes for the future. To a new day."

Raising their own cups and glasses, the students echoed "to a new day," before returning to the party at hand.

"Ditto on the new day, boys, girls, and elf, so let's get this one started!" Tabitha shouted as she hit the switch on the boom box she had smuggled out. As the song began, Tabitha reached out and grabbed Sam, shouting "c'mon, people, this song's no good if nobody dances to it!"

"I'm with Tabitha on this one." Jean laughed as she dragged a reluctant Scott towards the area Tabitha had dragged Sam. Soon, nearly every student had gathered on the open lawn, showing off their moves to one another.

"YAAAHH" yelped the young Nova Roman Amara as Kurt appeared directly in front of her. "Kurt!" she snapped, bringing a knowing blush to the furry mutant's face.

"Sorry; haven't done it for a while," he admitted sheepishly. He had almost forgotten how much it annoyed people.

A more nervous Jamie rubbed his hair; he had never been comfortable in crowds, especially when he couldn't control his powers. "Hey!" he shouted in several voices as Roberto bumped into him.S

"Sorry, Jamie, but there's not room on the floor for all of you," he laughed.

Glaring at Roberto, Jamie resisted the urge to personally lynch the arrogant Brazillian; instead, he recalled his clones and simply mumbled "Whatever," before stalking toward the mansion. Roberto's former dance partner had other ideas.

"That was mean, Roberto," Rahne growled. Following Jamie, she called out to him. "Hey, James?"

"Leave me alone" Jamie grumbled.

"Come on, now." Grabbing his arm, Rahne began leading him back toward the group. "We need no unhappy faces today." Jamie could hardly refuse.

Others were harder to convince.

"I don't see you celebrating, Russkie." Logan grunted as he stopped next to the x men's newest member.

Piotr Rasputin, the former unwilling Acolyte of Magneto, looked back at Logan, saying "I am not sure I am invited."

"Did ya not hear the Boom-girl? I think she was callin' everybody."

"Then why are not you up there?"

"'Cause I'm one of the teachers, it'd be awkward. But you look like you desperately need some fun time."

Piotr smiled, a bit morosely. "And what of old enemy?"

"You ain't the first. Besides, they all know he didn't give you much choice."

"I know that too." Piotr sighed. "But I still a bit … off about dancing."

"Suit yourself." Looking around, Logan spotted Kitty, standing away from the dance. According to Rogue, she had been doing that a lot since the punk Lance had stopped calling. _Wait a minute _… Looking at Piotr, Logan decided to try something. "Hey, half-pint!"

As a surprised Kitty came over, she couldn't help stealing a glance at the tall Russian, which did not go unnoticed by Logan. "Yeah?"

"The Tin Russkie needs to learn how we dance in America, and since I don't see you joining in, it just became your job to teach him."

"What?" Piotr was now as surprised as Kitty. "Comrade Logan …"

"Go on, both o' ya."

A smile started to sneak its way onto Kitty's face. "Well, alright. Come on, Peter, before he sticks us in the Danger Room." She took Piotr's hand and began leading him out toward the crowd.

"Since when did you start matchmaking, 'Comrade' Logan?" asked a snickering Rogue as she stepped up beside him.

"Call it a teamwork exercise." He looked over at the green-eyed Southerner. "So why aren't you up there, Stripes?"

" 'Cause I'm a danger to y'all when I'm dancin'. Besides, I'd have to absorb someone to remember how." Smirking at Logan, she continued. "What's your excuse?"

"Like I said, I'm one of the teachers."

"Tell that to Mr McCoy." she laughed, as the furry teacher had already leaped among the students and was demonstrating manoeuvres from his generation.

"People, people; is this what they call dancing today?"

Logan shook his head. "Crazy furball."

"Maybe you need some company." Rogue looked around, spotting Ororo near the Professor. "Hey Storm! Ya got a minute?

Logan's face snapped toward her "What the hell are you doin'?"

Smirking, Rogue turned to the approaching weather goddess. "Storm! Ah believe Logan has been workin' up the nerve to ask ya ta dance, so Ah thought Ah'd ask for him and save ya the wait."

Ororo turned her widening eyes toward Logan. "Logan?"

Logan growled, ready to deny it. _Like I could say no to Stripes and Ro. _"Uhh, well …" he grumbled. Quickly, he continued "I don't know nothin' about dancing."

Taking his arm, Ororo smiled. "Then it will be my job to show you." As she dragged him out toward the group. Logan himself was thinking _I'll get you for this, Stripes_.

Laughing, Rogue headed over to the Professor, who gave her another warm smile as he chuckled "Logan, dancing. This truly _is _a memorable occasion."

Rogue chuckled herself. "What goes around, comes around."

"Quite," he smiled, watching Piotr awkwardly try to ape Kitty's movements, while Ororo struggled to persuade Logan to loosen a single muscle. After a moment of silence, asked "Speaking of which, who will be dragging _you_ up there?"

That killed the smile. Though her powers hadn't turned on her in a few years, they still meant she couldn't touch another human being without draining their energy, leaving yet another psyche in her mind. "You know what happened last time Ah joined a rowdy crowd. It's too risky."

Xavier sighed. "Fair enough." In the years since Apocalypse, he had been able to turn more attention to Rogue's struggles. Because of her powers, she had made few friends at school, and gone on even fewer dates. Though Xavier was not one to give up hope, every search for a way to help Rogue gain control had ended in frustration. His best hope, his old student Sage, had dropped off the face of the earth, and her powers were rare, so there was little to go on at the moment. Still …

"By the way, you dropped this at the front." Looking over at the Professor, Rogue turned bright red as she noticed the playing card in the Professor's hand.

Snatching it back, Rogue mumbled "It's just a souvenir."

"I take it you haven't heard from him."

"Who?

"The one who gave you that 'souvenir'."

Rogue scowled. _Damn that Cajun_. "Look, Ah only kept it 'cuz Ah heard it brought good luck. And, just so we're clear, Ah am not lookin' to hear from him. Got it?"

Somewhat surprised at Rogue's tone, Xavier held up his hands. I'm sorry, Rogue. It's not my place to comment. Though I would say that trip did you more good than all my psychic sessions combined…"

"It wasn't a trip, Professor. He kidnapped meh just so he could use mah powers to steal info!" Rogue finally calmed down. Though she would never admit it to anyone, the cocky Cajun had been on her mind for a while, even before he had kidnapped her.

"Very well. I will say nothing more of it." the professor stated, before adding "unless you wish to talk, of course."

Rogue smiled sadly at the Professor. "Thanks."

Just then, a new voice, rather a group of voices, entered the party.

"NO MORE MUTANTS! NO MORE MUTANTS!"

At that moment, the day of celebration became more dangerous by the second.

Looking over at the source of the shouts, Xavier spotted a crowd gathering just outside the gates of the mansion. Apparently, the dancing students noticed as well, for the boom box was silenced as they gathered to join the Professor.

"Not the party guests we had in mind." Hank said dryly.

"Everyone, stay back." the Professor ordered. "I'm going down there to talk to them."

"Can't we, like, call the police or something?" asked a worried Kitty.

"Not until they cross the gate or throw something in." Hank answered grimly. "For now, them and their crazy message are protected by law."

"Hank's right, Kitty. Remember, a fight is the last thing we need." the Professor said as he wheeled down toward the crowd.

As he arrived, he took a deep breath. _Reason seems to be in low demand these days_. "What do you want here?" he called out.

"We want you and those other freaks out of our town!" shouted a small man, who seemed to be the crowd's spokesperson.

"Why?" Xavier asked.

"Because you're a menace! All of you! One of you tried to wipe us all out!"

"And he is long gone. And, in case you forgot, my students were the one's fighting _against_ that mutant. We use our powers only to protect mutants and humans, not harm them …"

BOOM!!!

Thrown from his wheelchair, it took Xavier several seconds to realize what lay before him. _Oh no …_

The protesters were now lying prone on the sidewalk, either stunned or … Xavier was only vaguely aware of Hank bounding down toward him, as his mind was close to paralyzed by the sight before him.

As Hank ran to retrieve the Professor, Ororo turned an angry eye toward the students. "Who did that?!" Quickly, she focused her eyes on one student whose powers allowed such an explosion. "Tabitha?"

"I swear Ms. Munroe, it wasn't me!" Tabitha cried, her usual wild-girl demeanour wiped from sight.

"Tabitha …" Ororo began, but was quickly interrupted.

"She's telling the truth, Ms Munroe!" Sam called out. "I was standin' right near her, she didn't throw nothin'!"

"Sam's right." Jean put in. "That bomb didn't come from us."

"But …" a confused Ororo trailed off, as she noticed armed humans approaching the gate. One of them was screaming "You see? THEY attacked US! We'll never be safe until they're gone!"

"Kill them all!" another shouted, as the others took up the cry.

Deciding there were better times for such questions, Ororo quickly took charge. "Never mind. For now, we must hold back the crowd. Remember the rules!" she concluded as she flew toward the gate, followed closely by Jean, Roberto, and Warren.

"Right. Don't hurt the humans that are trying to kill us." muttered Tabitha as she ran after them.

--------------------

At the gate, chaos was in full swing as the first torches sailed over the fence toward the Professor, only to freeze in midair as Jean placed a telekinetic shield under them. Already, she was beginning to strain under their increasing number.

Warren was already busy, swooping over the crowds and flapping his wings to blow back torches in midair, hoping to aid Jean. He looked up at Storm, who had stopped in midair. _Come on, we can't do this forever._

"Sacred element of the land, seas, and skies, come down to Earth and extinguish these weapons of hatred!" Ororo chanted, using the words to focus her mind as she exerted it upon the natural elements. In response a dark cloud gathered over the crowd, gathering moisture until it burst and drenched the crowd, along with their torches. A relieved and weary Jean gratefully dropped her shield once the torches were soaked beyond reuse, noting that Hank was already on his way back to the mansion with an unconscious Xavier in tow.

The crowd didn't stop there, however. During the bombardment of torches, other members of the crowd had seized two sidewalk benches and were ramming the gate, finally knocking it down. However, they had only gone a few steps before two large, metal hands grabbed both benches.

"Your violence is wasted here!" Piotr snarled as he yanked the benches from the startled protesters hands, smashing them together.

"He's right. You might want to go home and stop _tempting _me," Logan growled as he fought back a flurry of wooden weapons, his adamantium claws slicing each one as though it were butter.

Not content to sit back, Rahne shifted into her feline form and leaped between the crowd and the two mutants, roaring at the invaders, who stopped cold at the sight. This was her pack's territory; none would enter.

"We can't do this all day! Get them out of the grounds! But gently!" shouted Scott, itching to use his optic beam and knowing he couldn't.

"Here's a gentle warning!" grinned Bobby as he iced the damp ground under the crowd's feet. As they landed on their backs, Jean took a deep breath and pushed with her mind, sliding the startled vigilantes out onto the sidewalk. As they scrambled to their feet to try again, they met the newest obstacle.

"Sorry, we're closed," declared a line of Jamies. After a few seconds, they charged the Jamies …

… who were at that moment being called back through the ice wall Bobby had erected. Frustrated, the crowd began hammering at the wall.

Inside the building across the street, a young man aimed his camcorder, ecstatic as he captured the battle. His instructions rang through his mind. _Focus on the muties, especially the ones in action_. "We'll show them," he snickered.

Bobby turned back to the x men, grinning proudly. "I'd say the mansion's off limits," he boasted, seconds before an explosion sent him and Jamie flying toward the group.

"What?" was all Scott could manage as he turned to seek out the new threat. Sure enough, several jeeps and pickups were rolling up, full of heavily armed men.

Ray Crisp grimaced as he focused his energy and fired it towards the vehicles, all of which careened out of control and crashed into the nearby building.

Now, though, the occupants were piling onto the street and wildly firing their rifles toward the X men. Several of those shots hit Roberto, the brightest target in the sky. Another hit Ororo, who dropped from the sky like a stone, only to be snatched seconds from certain death by Warren.

Seeing the open gate, Scott thought quickly. With Iceman, Multiple, Sunspot, and Storm down … before he completed that thought, he heard Sam shouting.

"Magma! We need a lava barrier!"

"On it! But I need a trench!" replied the young mutant as flames sprouted from her body.

"No problem!" Scott called as he lifted his glasses and blasted a wide trench at the gate for Amara, which she promptly filled with lava. As the crowd approached, she gave them her fiery glare. "I wouldn't if I were you." Wisely, the crowd decided to keep their feet and backed off.

Another explosion landed near the group, knocking Rogue to the ground. "Where is that coming from?" Scott wondered as he scanned the vehicles that were now providing cover for the gunmen. "Kurt!" he shouted.

Kurt understood immediately. "Be right back!" he replied as he disappeared in flash of sulphur.

Reappearing across the street, behind the vehicles, Kurt soon spotted a man loading what seemed to be a large bazooka. Teleporting in front of him, Kurt grabbed the weapon. "I'll take zhat!"

"Filthy mutie!" the man snarled, reaching for the weapon.

"Tell it to zhe judge." Kurt replied as he disappeared again.

"Boom Boom!" Tabitha turned as Sam ran from Scott over to her. "Can you use your bombs to distract those guys for a minute?"

Tabitha hesitated. "Promise I won't get in trouble again?"

Sam sighed. "Forget it, Ah'll distract 'em." He turned and nodded to Scott, who shouted "NOW!" On cue, he leaped into the sky, activating his power to become a glowing streak, the human missile that had earned him his codename.

Curving in midair, Sam flew over the heads of the gunmen, who couldn't resist taking a few shots, useless though they turned out to be. Swinging around, Sam confidently prepared for another pass, only to find the men had started throwing grenades.

"Aaaahhh!" he shouted as one exploded particularly close to his head sending him careening into the ground.

"NO!" Tabitha screamed, running towards the fence. This was her fault. Worried about getting in trouble, she had let Sam run out and get killed. At the moment one gunman was stepping out towards Sam's crater. "What goes around, comes around, jerk," she grumbled as she swung her arm back.

"Tabitha, no!" Jean shouted as the blond hurled something toward the man. Reaching out to stop it, Jean was surprised to find a cluster of tiny bombs. _What is she …?_ Her question was soon answered as the bombs exploded at the man's feet, lifting him a few feet into the air before he landed on his backside.

"Stinking muties," he grumbled as he got up and prepared to finish the job …

…which happened to burst out of the crater at that very moment. "Ahm okay!" Sam shouted. He had just been stunned by the explosion and impact. Tabitha let out the breath she had been holding

"Jean, is Kitty in position?" Scott asked. Eyes closed in concentration, Jean nodded. Time to start the new plan. "Tabitha, distract them!" The blonde was only to happy to oblige as she, without a word, began showering the jeeps with mini-bombs. As the men ducked behind them, Scott shouted. "Kurt, now!"

On cue, Kurt ported Jubilee over to the vehicles, where she fired off a series of flashes that blinded the men before grabbing Kurt and getting ported back to the mansion.

_Now, Kitty!_ Jean sent. On command, the valley girl popped out of the ground next to the men and started running through their weapons, shorting them out. After passing them all, she gave them a cheerful wave before ducking into a nearby wall.

"Grenades!" one called out.

"I swear, this is the last time" muttered Jean as she reached out to catch the thrown grenades, drawing them as far away from the buildings as possible before they exploded in mid air. "Uhhh …" she groaned as she collapsed into Scott's arms, wishing desperately for a nap.

"Keep your eyes open. There may be more of them," Scott snapped, reverting to the role he had become used to.

Instead of more militia, they were greeted by an approaching squad of police cruisers.

"Took them long enough," muttered Ray.

"Quiet. Everybody stand down," hissed Scott as the cruisers pulled up. A black Buick followed close behind.

As the police officers stepped out of the car, one of them directed two men over to the beaten gunmen before taking the rest over to the mansion gates. Standing before the group, he rested his hand on his holster. "I'm Sergeant Waters, Bayville PD. Who's in charge of this freak show?" he demanded.

Scott stepped forward. "Professor Xavier's inside with a concussion, officer. So are several students and two of our instructors. You'll have to talk to me."

"Fine," Waters sneered. "Then maybe you can explain to me how this whole mess started!"

"Love to, but we didn't start anything, so I couldn't tell you," Scott snapped back. "Why don't you ask them?"

"Watch it, mutie," Waters warned, drawing his pistol.

"Sergeant!" Waters turned to face Police Chief Bronson. Marching over in full uniform, along with two suited detectives, Bronson addressed the group. "Are you trying to keep the peace or start another fight?"

"Sir …" Waters began to argue before Bronson cut him off.

"I'm not sure I want to hear it, Sergeant. By the way, it looks like your fellow officers could use some help." Sure enough, the two officers had their hands full trying to restrain the militiamen; at this point, they were surrounded.

Sighing in frustration, Waters signalled his men and they all headed over to assist, leaving Bronson alone with the X men. "Sorry about that," he said in a softer tone.

"We're used to it by now," Scott replied, crossing his arms.

Bronson's face darkened. "Look, the officer was out of line, but he was right about one thing. A lot of people are going to want to know exactly what happened here, myself included." He took a breath. "For starters, we're going to need statements from all of you."

"In case you haven't noticed, bub, we're a little busy to be sitting at the police station," Logan growled.

"He's right, Chief," a weary Jean put in. "We have injured people to look after. Can't we do it here?"

"You've got to be …" Logan's outburst was quickly silenced by a telepathic slap from Jean.

Bronson looked at the detectives, who shrugged and nodded. "Fine."

Logan growled. "Okay. But you stick to the dining room and rec room, understand?"

"Can we just get this done?" one detective answered gruffly.

--------------------

_Many challenges await us …_

_But the X men will always be there …_

Xavier woke with a start. Since being taken by Apocalypse, his glimpses of the future had taken over his dreams. Worse, the most frightening visions were also the most prominent. As a result, his dreams were dominated by images of anti-mutant sentiment, an army of sentinels, the dark turn by one of his students …

Xavier shook his head. He couldn't afford to dwell on visions, not when he had the present to deal with. Raising his head, he looked around.

"Finally awake, I see." Hank's good natured voice cut in as the furry mutant sauntered over.

Xavier winced at the noise, but managed a smile. "Well, you did say I needed rest, Hank. Though I wish it did not involve such a headache."

Smiling easily, Hank offered Xavier an aspirin and glass of water. After gratefully downing both, Xavier asked "How did we do?"

"Well, no serious injuries on either side, and, contrary to Scott's diagnosis, you _don't _have a concussion." Hank muttered for a few seconds about 'amateur diagnoses' before continuing. "And, except for a broken gate, a few crashed vehicles, and some potholes in the street, the damage was minimal."

The Professor let out the breath he had been holding. It could have been much worse. "Any news on reactions?"

"The police are taking statements from the students right now. Of course" Hank turned on the television "everybody's got a theory already."

"**And now a statement from Mayor and Senatorial-Candidate Robert Kelly."**

"**This mutant problem has gone too far. Hours ago, a peaceful protest was attacked, without provocation, by the renegade mutant group known as the X men!"** A stream of images followed, starting with the first explosion amid the crowd. According to the rest of the images, the only attacks came from the X men, while unarmed protesters fled. Kelly's face returned to the screen. "**We allowed the X men to stay in Bayville, training to fight with their powers, and this is the thanks we get!"** Kelly continued, indicating the pile of unconscious protesters. "**As mayor of Bayville, I intend to see to it that acts like these do not go unpunished. Mutants are not above the law."**

Xavier could feel another headache coming on. _It never seems to end …_

A few beds down, Logan growled as he fought the urge to smash the television. "Those psychos set us up!"

"Logan."

Logan quickly forgot about the television as he turned toward the voice. "Hey, 'Ro. How's the hip?"

"Sore." Logan watched as she shifted uncomfortably, then smiled. "I doubt I'll be dancing for anyone for some time."

Logan chuckled nervously. "Ahh, I was out of moves, anyway."

The smile stayed. "Right."

Nearby, Rogue managed a chuckle at the pair, just before Kitty and Kurt appeared before her.

"Hey Rogue! Hungry?" the brunette asked, offering her plate of … whatever it was.

"Not really," Rogue mumbled.

"How you feeling, sis?"

"Lahk a fifth wheel." Rogue grumbled. Before being knocked out, she hadn't been able to do anything to help, especially since the gunmen had no special powers to absorb. It was such times that made her wish for a different set of powers that didn't require her to steal from other mutants.

Kurt's face fell as Kitty began to offer her recipe to Ororo and Logan. "Sis, not everyone get's their licks in for every fight. Zhat doesn't make you useless." Though still uncertain, Rogue smiled in thanks at her half-brother.

Elsewhere, another mutant had similar doubts.

"Tab' fer the last tahme, Ah'm fahne. Ah'm only here 'cuz Doctor McCoy ordered meh. And, for the last tahme, it wasn't your fault."

"Would you have gone out there if I'd just done what you asked?" grumbled an unusually moody Tabitha.

"Look, you made a mistake, but Ah'm the one that rushed out there and got mahself blown down." Sam looked at his shirt for a second. "Ah always thought I was invincible in the air. Looks lahke Ah just paid for thinking lahke that."

"Just don't let the word spread, fearless leader" retorted Tabitha, a smile sneaking onto her face.

"No kiddin'. Lahk Ah need another mutiny from Bobby," Sam muttered. Looking at Tabitha, he continued "Now you gonna stop pining, or do Ah have to get you some more extra Danger Room sessions from Wolverine?"

"Like we didn't pick up enough today," Tabitha giggled as she stood up. Quickly, she placed a kiss on Sam's forehead. "Just get some rest, showoff," she finished as she strode out of the infirmary.

Sam rubbed his head. Now what was that? Tabitha had always been flirty, but this … his thoughts were interrupted by the smacking noise next to him. "Can it, Jamie."

"Just get a room, sir," the young X man snickered, before focusing his gaze on the fire-haired Scot that had entered the infirmary and stopped by Roberto's bedside.

"How ye feeling, Roberto?" she asked.

"Ahh, it's nothing" grinned the Brazilian mutant. "Just get me some sun, I'll be outta bed in no time."

Rahne shook her head. "And here I thought getting shot down would slow that ego of yours" she teased.

Jamie grimaced at the scene before him and quickly rolled over, pulling the blankets over his head. Sam shook his head; he'd thought Jamie had been crushing on Kitty, but now …

"Been busy, haven't you _leader_" came Bobby's voice from Sam's other side. Bobby did not look as amused as Jamie had. Not in the mood for another match with Bobby, Sam made a decision.

"That's it, Ah'm outta here …"

"Not so fast, hotshot," McCoy had just strolled over to Sam's bed, wagging a furry finger. "You still need a checkup. Doctor's orders. And in here, the doctor outranks everybody."

Groaning, Sam sat back down. _So much for rank and its privileges._

--------------------

"We have to respond."

Having left the infirmary, Xavier now sat in his office with the senior professors, joined by Scott and Jean. Now that the detectives had left and the injuries attended to, they still had to deal with Kelly.

Logan growled. "Just show me where to …"

Ororo interrupted. "No, not like that." She looked around the room. "We have to prove that we didn't instigate this fight."

"That'll be tough with someone like Kelly," Scott grumbled, thinking back to how they had once been accused of building the Sentinel that attacked them. Whenever mutant-haters were involved, reason and truth seemed to fly out the window.

"But he's not the only one around," Jean put in. "We have to get the message out to as many people as possible."

"You can fool everybody sometimes, and somebody all the time, but you can't fool everyone all the time," Hank quoted as he continued to rewind the surveillance tape. "But, before we send any message, we need some answers ourselves."

"Specifically, where did that explosion come from?" Xavier finished.

"Precisely." The room went silent as Hank began playing the tape at the moment the battle started. In a few seconds, a white flash engulfed. "Hmm, it didn't even knock down the gate."

"A flashbang." Heads turned to Logan, who elaborated. "A grenade that throws off a lot of light and noise without incinerating anything."

"How appropriate." Hank remarked. "Does it leave any trace behind?"

"Probably. Though the cops probably swept that up by now."

"Then no one will ever hear of it." Scott sighed, dejected.

"I wouldn't be too sure." Hank was now staring intently at the frozen image. "Could someone pass the magnifying glass?" Silently, Jean reached out and floated the tool from the nearby desk over to Hank. "Thanks." Humming to himself, Hank pressed the glass against the TV screen. "Is that what they look like?"

Logan leaned over and examined the spot Hank had magnified. A small, cylindrical device was visible, hanging from the hip of one of the protesters; at that moment, the man's hand was on the pin. "Yeah, that's it."

"So that's why the guy has his eyes closed right there." Scott snorted. "Those guys must be desperate."

"There's our answer," Xavier stated firmly. Looking around at the bedraggled faces, he began to give out instructions. "All right. Hank, be sure to keep all our tapes of the fight in a safe place. Everyone else, try to get some sleep. I have a few calls to make"

--------------------

"Contrary to the libellous accusations made by Mayor Kelly, my X men did not initiate the fight outside our gates. We did not bring the automatic weapons that injured several of my students and one of my instructors. We were not firing the explosives that left several of my students with concussions. We were not driving the vehicles that damaged nearby buildings. And we most certainly did not bring," Xavier now pulled out the blow-up photo Hank had prepared for him "the flashbang that was detonated by one of the protestors to justify this attack."

The last comment, at the very least, started a buzz among the reporters gathered outside the smashed gate. One of them called out. "Professor Xavier, is that photo authentic?"

"It was taken from our own surveillance footage, copies of which are now in the hands of the police."

"What of the protestors' allegations that they were unarmed?"

Gesturing at Ororo, who now sported a cane, Xavier answered "Injuries such as these were hardly the work of unarmed protestors. In fact," he continued, determined to point this out, "if you really looked, I think you'd find that only serious injuries in this fight came from these 'protesters' weapons."

One young reporter looked up from her notes. "Professor, one of the protestors just stated to the police that the fight was, and I quote, 'a stand against the mutant freaks who are running wild.' Any comment?"

Xavier took a deep breath and carefully prepared his answer.

"Look around," he spoke gently. "Are we the one's running wild? Are the acts of violence at mutant homes and centers the fault of the so-called 'mutant menace'?" Xavier's face and tone hardened. "The mutants at those sites had done nothing except try to live a normal life, and were brutalized simply for existing!"

--------------------

"**In the past two years, entire sections of Bayville have had to be rebuilt because of anti-mutant riots. In all of those cases, the perpetrators were humans! No, Ms. Trilby, I would say that the real menace we face is the unthinking bigotry that has swept this town and so many others across the world." Xavier's televised face softened. "Fear and hatred have never made us feel safe, yet too many humans and mutants are relying on them to make their decisions. That is what led to the attack on my school, and that is the cause of the violence that has been tearing Bayville apart to this very day. That's all I have to say."**

"**Police Chief Bronson had his own comments on the fight that took place outside the Xavier Institute."**

The Chief's weathered face filled the screen. "**I still can't go into specifics about the investigation. However, I will say that I intend to see that the incident will be examined, and re-examined until we have all the facts, from all sides." Rubbing his eyes, the Chief continued. "I must also reiterate that, whoever instigated this fight will be charged to the fullest extent of the law. And any more acts of violence will not be tolerated, no matter who the perpetrators are or what they use…"**

Kelly switched the television off, seething. Xavier had been quick to counter his public campaign. Now, when he had a chance to take down the renegade X men, Xavier was on TV blaming the violence on everybody but the mutants. And now, it seemed that his own police chief was casting his lot with Xavier. _Fool!_

"The man should run for mayor."

Kelly quickly turned to face the voice. Henry Peter Gyrich, a rising star in Homeland Security's new Mutant Affairs team. "You're late." Kelly snapped as the young man sat down. "So what's the word? You hear from your source?"

Gyrich nodded grimly. "It's over. A couple of the idiots admitted to seeing their fellow protestor drop the flashbang. And this was before Xavier made his address." Gyrich took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "Plus, the forensics team found fragments of the bomb near the gate, and Bronson personally ordered that it be sealed." Gyrich sighed and shook his head. "They're building a case against the militia right now."

"Damnit, Gyrich, I put myself out on the line because you told me this was a sure success!" Kelly shouted, as there was no one else in the room.

"I didn't expect Bronson to step in the way he did. Now that Xavier's got the chief of police behind him …" Gyrich didn't need to elaborate. With such a highly placed official publicly backing the mutant group, destroying the X men's legitimacy would be that much harder.

"The man's a fool." Kelly grumbled. "Those freaks are running wild, and now my police are publicly exonerating them!"

Gyrich shrugged. "So we'll have to find another way. I'll call when I think of something." As he stood up, he paused and added "Oh, you might want to think about saving face and making an apology before you become public idiot number one."

Kelly cursed to himself as Gyrich left. He hated making apologies.

---------------------

"Man, Kelly just looks _miserable _when he's eating crow on TV," Bobby laughed, stopping the pool game to watch Kelly as he, very reluctantly, retracted his previous accusation.

"Hey, it serves him right," Sam put in as he lined up his shot. "Anyway, mah pa once told me a little crow in the diet is good for the heart."

"Indeed." Ororo smiled as she watched the boys play. Perhaps she should eat some of her own. She owed Tabitha an apology. But the blonde was busy playing poker with Rogue, Kitty, and Piotr. At that moment, she had lost the hand, and her entire pot, to the sassy southerner.

"Dammit, Rogue, I swear this cannot be your first game. Where did you learn it?"

"Dunno," Rogue smirked. Absorbing memories could be handy after all. As Tabitha crossed her arms and grumbled, Rogue reminded herself to thank Gambit for the impromptu lesson if she ever saw him again … not that she wanted to, of course. _Nope, not in a million years. Crap, why am I even thinking about that swamp rat again?_

"Perhaps she is merely a natural." Piotr offered, drawing a giggle from Kitty.

"I say we keep the tape of Kelly's apology and email it to him." Jamie offered, watching the television while one of his clones joined in the pool game.

"Who knows, it might keep him busy," Rahne smiled.

"It's a start at least." observed Scott.

"Excuse me," Xavier rolled into the crowded room, quickly silencing the chatter. "I have some news. According to Bronson, we've been officially cleared of any wrongdoing in last week's fight." Smiling at the applause and cheers that followed, Xavier waited before continuing. "And, since the immediate trouble is behind, I believe we were having a celebration before the rude interruption."

"Except," interrupted Logan, a wicked grin appearing on his face, "that the kids still owe us those extra sessions for ruining Ro's fruit salad."

The X-kids groaned, knowing what they were in for. Or so they thought.

"_But_, since we already got punished by those jokers …" Logan paused, "I'm knocking it down to one session, kids versus teachers and grads. Chuck is the judge." A shocked silence greeted the announcement. "Well? Suit up already, we meet at the Danger Room in fifteen."

With assorted grumbles and snickers, the crowd of mutants began filing out toward their respective rooms

"Aw, man. We gotta take on the teachers?" Jubilee grumbled.

"Ahhh, they're old, and the grads are out of shape. We can take them," Roberto grinned.

Rogue raised an eyebrow at Kitty. "Outta shape?"

Kitty shook her head. "Oh, we like, SO have to show them."

"Oh, we'll show them, all right," Scott added as he led the smaller group out.

Xavier fondly watched the motley group leave. _A new day, but only the first of many_, he thought to himself. _But we'll be here for all of them._

He had to hope.

**Coming Up on X Men Evolution**

"_Problem is, I don't have the resources I need to handle that SOB" she grumbled._

"_Maybe what you need is a group that can't afford to say no to you," Gyrich suggested. _

Wanda gave him a look of disbelief. "You mean you creeps couldn't even find a job in two years?"

"_Not enough to break even." Lance retorted. Seeing Wanda's disbelieving expression, he added, "We're mutants, remember? With Kelly in charge, we might as well have been kicked out of the city."_

"_Except we couldn't even gas up the jeep, so here we stuck," Toad put in as he hopped back into the kitchen._

"_Someone from the government was here?" Jean asked._

"_We get involved with whatever Cooper's plannin' we probably won't like what we find," Logan growled._

"_But what is she planning?" Jean asked._

"_He still hasn't called?" Rogue asked, exasperated._

"_No," Kitty mumbled._

"_Something stinks about this whole business," Logan told the assembled kids._

"_Rogue to team. Looks like our cat just left our position."_

"_You two find out what you can,"_

"_Hi Lance," said a sullen Kitty. _

**Author's Note**

Hello, all! This is my first fanfiction story; I just couldn't work up the nerve before. So what do you think? Love it? Hate it? All reviews are welcome, and more episodes are on their way.


	2. New Orders

**Previously, on X Men Evolution**

"_You told me this was a sure thing!" Kelly snapped._

_Gyrich shrugged. "I didn't expect Bronson to step in the way he did."_

"_Have you seen Lance around?" Kitty asked._

"_They're still at the boarding house," Ororo replied. "Have you heard from him?"_

_Kitty scowled. "No."_

**NEW ORDERS**

**Staff Lounge, Homeland Security HQ, Washington: Midnight**

"**In recent news: Chief Bronson has personally cleared the members of the X men of any wrongdoing in the firefight that took place right outside the Xavier Institute. In contrast, the militiamen, who have been identified as members of a new group calling itself the "Friends of Humanity", have all been charged with several counts of terrorism and vandalism, based primarily on the evidence gathered …**

"Turn that down!" shouted Gyrich. He was sick of hearing Bronson defend those freaks as though they were heroes. _They caused more than half the problems they claim to solve_! Not only that, but he seemed to hold a particular grudge against anyone attacking mutants, often pushing for them to be charged as 'hate crimes'. If Gyrich didn't know better, he'd swear Bronson was a mutant himself. Unfortunately, that wasn't it – Bronson was just taking his 'equal before the law' stance to an extreme. He had stated as much the last time Gyrich had spoken to him.

"_We're peacekeepers, sir. Mutant or human breaks the law, we go after them. I'll leave the persecuting to you._" he had calmly stated before walking away.

But he was wrong. You couldn't very well wait for a terrorist to blow up a building before going after him, could you? No you tracked them down and took them out before they had a chance. Here were a team of freaks with lasers, explosives, and God knew what else at their disposal, training every day in their 'Danger Room', and the chief law enforcement officer of the city was doing nothing to stop them!

"Another, Ted!" he called. He needed it.

"Penny for your thoughts." Gyrich turned to be greeted by the image he knew well: Valerie Cooper, another rising star currently working for NSA.

"Valerie!" Gyrich greeted, giving his best smile. Pity she was devoted to the single life. "It's been so long!"

Valerie gave him a bemused look. "Just over a month, Henry." She finally sat down on the stool next to him. "So what brings the only other workaholic in government service to the staff bar?"

Gyrich shrugged. "No reason. So what made you come out and socialize?"

"No reason." Valerie smirked.

Impasse. Instead of responding, Gyrich signalled for yet another round.

Finally, Valerie broke the silence. "All right, I'll tell you my reason for drinking if you tell me yours."

Gyrich knew couldn't confide the failure of his recent operation to Valerie; she was much too straight-edged to not report something like that. Instead, he said "I've got a bunch of freaks training like soldiers before my eyes, and the police won't stop them."

"The X-men?" Valerie inquired. Gyrich nodded. "No kidding. They're a smooth bunch. I mean, taking down those fanatics without even hurting them…" she shook her head. "they know how to play the game."

"And it'll be the normal humans that pay." Gyrich grumbled. "But enough about me. Val?" he asked, turning his best questioning stare on her.

Valerie didn't flinch. "They just assigned me to run the search for Magneto." Upon hearing the name, Gyrich's eyes narrowed. He knew of Magneto, the self-proclaimed 'Master of Magnetism' who had been gearing up to start a war, earning the label 'most dangerous mutant alive' from most of his coworkers.

"Problem is, they won't give me the resources I need to handle that SOB, so apparently I have to farm the dirty work out to some private force with its own agendas." Valerie grumbled.

"You know, I know a few that can be very efficient …" Gyrich began to suggest, before Valerie slammed her fist down on the bar.

"But I can't _trust _them. Once they're hired, they become the only choice, and then they hold it over us until they're the ones running the search!" She crossed her arms, scowling at her glass; she'd never been much of a drinker. "I can't run a search without people I can rely on."

"Hmm." Gyrich thought differently; he'd always found private contractors much more preferable, especially since you could then operate without some damned oversight committee looking over your shoulder. Though she had a point about trust; his recent experience with the FOH group, arrogant fools, proved that. At that point, a thought entered his mind.

"Maybe …" he began, finally drawing Valerie's gaze. "Maybe what you need is a group that can't afford to say no to you."

She looked at him sceptically. "What do you …?" she started to asked, but then the wheels started turning. "I've got to get back to the office. Thanks for the chat," she quickly stated as she grabbed her purse and marched back toward the elevator.

"Glad to be of service." Gyrich grumbled, returning to his drink.

--------------------

In the elevator, Valerie could feel her heart rate quicken as she considered Gyrich's words. There were plenty of private groups that had escaped her superiors' notice; perhaps one of them would be cash-strapped enough to fall in line and stay there.

But that didn't solve her immediate problem. Truth was, she doubted any of the private groups, big or small, could handle Magneto. Even if he couldn't turn your own weapons against you, he always stayed near areas that he could control. In fact, besides Apocalypse, the only groups that had ever come close to defeating Magneto were …

"Oh." She considered it. Her superiors might not like it, but she needn't tell them for a while, and if it got the job done …

**Xavier Institute, Bayville: The Next Afternoon**

"Your proposal is intriguing, Ms. Cooper," Xavier said thoughtfully. "However, this is a school, not an army. I really don't think …"

"Why not?" Valerie interrupted. Facing the professor in her most respectful pose, she continued. "This is a mutant who has repeatedly attempted to initiate a war with humanity. He's the one who blew your cover!"

"But he hasn't done anything since then." Xavier responded gently.

"That doesn't matter! At the very least, mutants who commit crimes should be held accountable for their actions!"

Xavier smiled. "That may be. However, despite all he's done, I've always been a 'forgive and forget' man." A trace of wistfulness appeared on the professor's face. "He's not an evil man, Ms. Cooper, and I daresay he's already been 'punished' by Apocalypse. I could hardly take part in a manhunt to lock him away."

Cooper stared at Xavier in disbelief. After all Magneto had done, Xavier still defended him. _Mutant solidarity, maybe? _

She decided to try another tack. "Professor," she began as she paced the room, "you've always claimed that humans and mutants can work together, as equals, correct?" Xavier nodded silently. "Well what better way could there be to demonstrate that? We would be working together towards a common goal in hunting down the most dangerous mutant on this planet." She saw Xavier considering, and pressed on. "Come on! You worked with the military – and their Sentinels, no less – to stop Apocalypse a few years ago! How different would this be?"

Xavier frowned. "To be accurate, Ms. Cooper, the military tried to keep us away from the conflict because they didn't trust us." After letting the comment sink in, he continued. "And, as for what you're asking, it would be different from what you're asking because, as far as I know, Magneto is not planning to wipe out the human race." Picking up a stack of papers, he concluded. "If I hear credible information telling me otherwise, I will certainly pass it on to you. However, for the last time, this school is not for hire. Do I make myself clear?"

Valerie nodded, sensing defeat. "Have a good day Professor."

--------------------

"Dammit" she cursed to herself as she stalked outside. So much for hiring Xavier's little group. Probably for the best; her supervisors, and Gyrich, would kill her, then kill themselves, if they found out she had taken such measures. Shame though; she'd always thought Xavier's X men were as professional as they came. They would have been perfect for the manhunt. "Now what?" she grumbled.

"Ms Cooper?" Turning about, she noticed a blue furry mutant clad in a business suit – Dr. Henry McCoy, if she recalled correctly, the X men's resident doctor and scientist. _What does he want?_

Leaping the last few feet toward her, McCoy reached a furry hand toward. "I suspect you already know who I am."

"Likewise," she replied as she shook his hand, bristling a bit at the contact. Crossing her arms, she continued. "Was there something you wanted?"

"Indeed, if you will walk with me for a minute." Falling into step beside McCoy, Valerie was growing more and more intrigued. This mutant clearly had something to tell her, something he didn't want Xavier to hear him pass on. After walking a short distance, McCoy finally spoke. "What if I told you that there was another mutant group that may be willing to enlist in your hunt for Magneto?"

"I would first ask what made you think I was looking." Better to keep her cards close, at least until she learned what the mutant was after.

"An easy one. I overheard you make your request to the Professor. And, since you are soliciting to local mutant teams, I believe it's fair to assume that you are somewhat lacking in resources."

"Assuming that's true, I would have to ask why you are approaching me …" she gave an inquisitive stare "… so discreetly?"

If the mutant was fazed by her stare, as many criminals and terrorists had been over the course of her career, he didn't show it. "Xavier's a good man, Ms. Cooper, but he would never hunt down an old friend." Seeing the look of surprise on Valerie's face, Beast continued. "Oh, yes. Ironic, isn't it? The most intractable of enemies borne out of the closest of friends. Though I believe Nietzsche once said that the best of friends must simultaneously be each others' greatest foes…"

"Just get to the point, McCoy." Valerie snapped, suddenly uncomfortable. There was something she didn't like about the blue furry scientist, something that felt off.

"As you wish" McCoy smiled. "What I was trying to say was, I would not rely on Xavier to send his X men against Magneto. However, there is another group of mutants around, one with ample reason to hate Magneto. Oh, and … I believe they're having another cashflow crisis at the moment."

Despite her misgivings, Valerie was intrigued. "So who are these mutants, and where do I find them?"

McCoy seemed to fight a triumphant grin. "They should still be in their old boarding house."

**Brotherhood of Mutants' Boarding House, Bayville**

"Hey, knock it off, Firebug!" snapped Toad as he dodged yet another fireball.

"For the last time, skinny bloke, it's _Pyro_." the mutant grumbled as he lit his lighter for another shot. "Crikey, it's no wonder you all got expelled; can't even get my name right."

Though never one for the direct approach – he much preferred to stay out of the way until he could sneak up on his enemy – this maniac was pushing him too far.

"EEEAAAAHHHHHH!" snarled Toad as lunged directly at Pyro, knocking the surprised Pyro off the chair and to the floor. "Let's see how you handle us _kiddies_," spat Toad before taking a deep breath and launching his well-known phlegm into the blonde's face.

"AAAARGHHH!" screamed Pyro as he clawed at his face. "Bloody hell, what did you … ohh crikey, it's in me hair now!"

Toad snickered, pleased to finally one-up the ex-Acolyte. Since the Acolytes disbanded, he had stayed in the old base until a bunch of government-looking types had swarmed the place, forcing him to make a hasty exit. After wandering around for a while, he had come to the boarding house, practically begging for a place to stay. After settling in, though, he somehow got the idea that being a former Acolyte of Magneto made him the big man on campus, so to speak. In a house full of heavy, unstable egos, that led to frequent, noisy clashes such as this one.

"YOU'LL BURN IN HELL FOR THAT, FROGGY!" Pyro shouted as he lit another fireball.

"It's Toad, yo," the young mutant muttered, readying himself for another blast.

Fortunately, the other occupants had had enough.

"KNOCK IT OFF! BOTH OF YOU!" shouted Lance, firing a stream of water at Pyro, extinguishing his fireball.

Sputtering, Pyro ripped the damp phlegm off his face, then glared at the others. "What the hell was that for?"

Pyro had barely taken a breath before being grabbed and pushed against the wall by Lance. "Because you just nearly burned the house down, you lunatic! Again! For the fifth time! Give me one good reason why we shouldn't toss you back where you came from."

Despite his obvious discomfort, Pyro smirked. "Well … how's this, mate? You keep me here and I _might_ burn the house down. Toss me back on the street, and I _will_."

Glaring at Pryo, Lance finally let go and pushed him toward the table. "Just remember, anything you burn down is something we can't afford to replace."

"Aw, come now, a lad's got to have a bit of fun, no?"

"I say we cook and eat him," Toad put in. "We're almost outta food, anyway."

"Don't tempt me." grumbled Fred, known as the Blob for his sheer size. Since the fight against Apocalypse, the Brotherhood's luck had steadily declined. Most places refused to hire them, as they were well-known mutants, and the occasional contracts they scored as a group were few and far between. For Fred, the drop in food supplies was especially painful; he was actually starting to _lose weight_. The thought made him give Pyro another hungry look. _Hmm, barbecue _…

"Uh, look now, fellas …" a nervous Pyro began, before a new voice interrupted.

"Hey! What'sgoingoninthisdump?!" The greeting was followed by the appearance of Pietro Maximoff, the fast-moving and fast-talking mutant who, after Apocalypse, had run off with his father and sister and not been heard from again.

"Well! Look who it is! Magneto's boy!" giggled Toad. "Oh, is Wanda with you? Hey sweetums!" he called out, bouncing toward the hall.

After casting Toad an annoyed look, Pietro turned to face the other boys in the kitchen. "Well? No hello?"

"Here's mine." growled Lance as the walls began to shake. Sensing trouble, Pietro sped out into the hall.

"Easy, Alvers, you'llbringthedumpdownonourheads!" he frantically called out.

Taking a breath, Lance stopped the shakedown – it was becoming easier each day – and simply crossed his arms. "What do you want, Pietro?"

"Well," Pietro began, before hearing more noise behind him.

"WAAAHHHHH!" yelled Toad as he flew through the front door and into the back wall.

"God, Toad, it's been two years! Will you ever get a life?!" came the annoyed voice of Wanda Maximoff as she stalked through the door, wrinkling her nose. "And while I'm at it, do you ever shower?"

"Somebody hasn't changed," snickered Fred.

"Shower won't work, Wanda," Lance sullenly called out. "Not until we pay the water bill."

She gave him a look of disbelief. "You mean you creeps couldn't even find a job in two years?"

"Not enough to break even." Lance retorted. Seeing Wanda's disbelieving expression, he added, "We're mutants, remember? With Kelly in charge, we might as well have been kicked out of the city."

"Except we couldn't even gas up the jeep, so here we stuck," Toad put in as he hopped back into the kitchen.

Wanda shot her brother a look. "And you wanted to stay _here_?"

"Look, sis, we'remutantswhohappentoberelatedtothemostwantedmutantalive, sothosefivestarhotelsain'texactlywelcomingus, whichleavesuswiththisdump!"

"Excuse me?" Lance interrupted. Though Pietro's speeches were often hard to follow, he had caught enough to grab his attention. "Run that by us again. _Slowly_."

Taking a breath, Pietro turned back to face the group. "My father just ran off on another hairbrained scheme to 'save mutantkind.' Since we didn't go along, we got the boot. You follow?"

"Yeah," replied Lance. "And the answer's no."

"Uh, just a minute …" Toad began.

"NO!" Lance shouted, stepping between his roommates and the new arrivals. "Sorry, but you walked out on us too many times. Go find your own place."

Somewhat shocked, the others could only watch as Lance stalked toward the front door. "Here's the door," he snapped as he reached for the handle just as the bell rang.

"You didn't bring friends, did you?" Toad asked. Pietro shrugged. Surprised, Lance opened the door.

"Lance Alvers, right?" asked a young woman in an official looking suit and shades.

"Who wants to know?" he snapped.

Taking off her shades, the woman began. "I'm Valerie Cooper, with the National Security Agency."

_NSA? _Lance thought to himself. _This is something new._ "What do you want from us? We haven't done anything in years. Or is the government finally rounding up all mutants?" he sneered.

The woman gave him a cold stare in return before speaking again. "Right now, I'm only interested in one mutant." Before she could elaborate, Pietro interrupted.

"Look, if you're looking for my father, we don't know where he is or what he's up to, sobeseeingyou." Before he could dash off, Valerie reached out and grabbed his arm.

"Pietro Maximoff. Fancy seeing Magneto's kid here."

"Let him go." Valerie looked up to see Wanda Maximoff, Magneto's other child, clenching her fists. So, both Maximoff children were here with the Brotherhood. Valerie pushed the thought to the back of her mind as Maximoff's hands as the nearby walls began to crumble.

"Use that on me, kid, and this place goes sky high." Shoving Pietro into the wall, she pulled out a grenade she had brought for the occasion. Pulling the pin out, she pressed her thumb into the switch. Wanda's eyes went wide as she realized what Valerie held.

"God, everyone wants to bring the house down," muttered Fred.

"Shelia's got fast hands," smirked Pyro.

Ignoring them, Valerie smiled sweetly and said "Now. Why don't we talk like civilized people?"

"Heh heh." Toad laughed nervously. "We can be civilized. Right guys?" He hopped toward the living room. "Come on, you can have my seat."

Valerie smiled. This approach probably broke a few NSA regulations – officially, anyway – but it paid to be prepared.

**Xavier Institute: Main Office**

"Wait a minute, you mean someone from the government was here?" Jean asked in disbelief.

Xavier nodded grimly. After the meeting with Cooper, he had called his senior X men into his office to discuss the new development. "Yes. Her name was Valerie Cooper … Hank?" he inquired, turning to Hank.

"Well, there was a Valerie Cooper on an upward rise through federal security organizations," Hank replied, looking through his notes. "Nothing on recent assignments, though if she's out hunting for private contractors, I'd guess CIA or No Such Agency."

"CIA can't operate here, blueboy" growled Logan. "My money's on NSA, if she's looking for local teams to handle her dirty work."

"Perhaps, but her agency is not what I'm concerned about." Xavier put in.

"You mean her asking us to help find and tackle Magneto?" Logan grinned. "Just show me where to sign."

"Logan …" Xavier sighed.

"Hey, I know he's been quiet for a couple years, but I still owe him a few for what he's done to us."

"I'm with Logan, Professor," put in Scott before Xavier could answer. "Besides, what if he's planning something now? If he tries to kidnap all of us again …" a dark look came over his eyes as he recalled those days.

Shaking his head, he went on. "Anyway, far as I see, he should be punished like any criminal."

"I think he's been punished enough, or have you forgotten Apocalypse?" Ororo put in.

"You call that punishment?" Scott laughed bitterly.

Ororo's eyes flashed with anger. "It was certainly no vacation." Already, the skies were darkening.

"Stop it! Both of you!" ordered the Professor.

Her face falling, Ororo called off the weather. "If you'll excuse me, I have a training session to see to," she stated coldly before marching out of the office. As the dark clouds retreated, Scott turned to Xavier.

"Professor, I'm sorry, but …"

"I know, Scott," Xavier sighed. "But whatever Magneto's done or may be doing now, this fighting does not help anything. I've already told Ms Cooper that we won't be taking part in a witch hunt."

"Not even to find out if he's up to anything?" Scott asked. "Just to be on the safe side?"

"Sorry, Scott, but I'm with Charles on this one," Hank replied. "No matter who they're hunting, I personally wouldn't want to get involved with the NSA."

"Furball's got a point." Seeing Scott's surprised look, Logan continued. "Fury once told me that getting involved with black ops can be like digging yourself a black hole, especially when the boss is three or more layers up."

"Wise words. He should write that one down," joked Hank.

Logan didn't smile. "The point is, we get involved with whatever Cooper's planning, we probably won't like what we find out."

"But what IS she planning?" Jean asked. "I mean she says she's hunting for Magneto but …" she trailed off.

"That is precisely why I called this meeting," Xavier replied. Looking at the teachers, he went on. "Logan, I think you'd better pick some students for a mission."

"You got it," grunted Logan as he headed out into the hall.

Outside, Logan soon spotted Ororo leaning against the wall, her face focused on the floor. Warily, he approached her. "Ro'? You all right?" No response. "Ro'? Hey, you gonna lift your head before you flood the mansion?"

Ororo finally relented, lifting her eyes to meet Logan's.

"How is it no one seems to understand … ?" she whispered.

"None of us went through it except Xavier," Logan answered gruffly. "You tried talking to him?"

"I have." she nodded. "It just doesn't get any easier."

Logan had no words for that. Having been a Weapon X test subject, he had an idea what it was like to be taken and exploited, used as living weapon. But what Apocalypse had done to Ororo and Xavier … even his violent imagination couldn't keep up. Crossing his arms, Logan decided to give it a try.

"Look, uh, I you ever need someone else to vent on, or beat up on even …"

Ororo smiled. "Thank you Logan." Checking her watch, she added "But I'm late for my own class."

"Just don't wipe 'em out" called Logan. "I need some of 'em for a mission."

Giving Logan another smile and a pat on the shoulder, Ororo hurried off. _Nice walk, I ought to learn where she learned that … Whoa, Logan! You're staring!_ Logan grumbled to himself as he quickly walked the other way. He needed a shower.

A cold one.

**Girl's Dorm, Xavier Institute: A Few Minutes Later**

"So, he STILL hasn't called you?" Rogue asked, none too surprised.

"No," mumbled the surprisingly sullen brunette, lying with her face in her pillow. "I, like, tried calling him, but he apparently disconnected the phone line."

"Maybe he forgot to pay his bills," Rogue suggested. _Or couldn't pay them_, she thought to herself.

"Maybe," Kitty sniffled. This silent spell was getting a bit much for her.

"Anyway, why you pinin' for the boy, anyway? He never treated you right. Maybe it's time to move on," Rogue suggested.

"Move on from what?!" Kitty cried, finally lifting her head to face Rogue. "I don't even know where we are!" She snorted. "You should know about that, Miss Queen of Hearts."

Now Kitty had moved way off base. "For the last time, there is nothing going on!" she growled. She vowed to thoroughly absorb that Cajun if she ever saw him again.

Kitty smirked. "Sure. Then I might as well throw this out …" Suddenly, quick as cat, she reached through Rogue's pillow and pulled out the card of contention.

"Hey! Hand it over, valley girl!" Rogue snarled as she reached for the card that was already pulling back.

"Nothing going on, right?" Kitty grinned as she held up the card, which was now wrapped in a plastic protector. "Then why … hey!" she cried as Rogue gave one of her ponytails a quick yank, then snatched the card and shoved it back under the pillow.

"Just so we're clear, Kitty, the card was a gift, and I don't go throwing gifts away.

"Oh, really?" Kitty crossed her arms, looking none too convinced. "So where's the skirt I got you last Christmas?"

"Uhhh …" before Rogue had time to make up an answer, there came a knock at the door. "Come in!" she gratefully called out.

Kitty shook her head. _Pitiful_, she thought as the hulking teacher Logan stalked in.

"Hey Stripes, Half-Pint, you busy?"

Knowing what was coming, both girls answered warily "Well …"

"I'll take that as a no, so I'll see you in the War Room in 10." Without waiting for an answer, Logan stalked back out.

The two looked at each other with confused eyes. "War Room? This can't be just a Danger Room session."

Kitty sighed. "So much for summer vacation."

**War Room, Xavier Institute: 10 minutes later**

"Yer kiddin'," Rogue exclaimed, looking around the room. "Uncle Sam wants us now?"

"More like Aunt," Kitty snickered.

"Yes, that's what she claimed, Rogue. Unfortunately, I have a feeling that woman was not telling us everything. In addition, we have no idea what she plans to do with him if she finds and subdues him."

"Bottom line, kids: Something stinks about this whole business, and we gotta find out more," Logan added.

"Well I'm game. Spying on the government – I've had dreams about this since I was a kid," grinned Jamie, earning a look from Rahne.

"Yer still a kid, Jamers," she told him, earning a scowl from the young X man.

Xavier managed a smile. "Let's focus on following the mystery lady, shall we." The kids nodded. "Very well. Since she got such a cold reception from us, we expect she'll approach other mutant groups in the area before moving on. I'm sending pairs to the most likely areas. Jean, you'll be in overall command, paired with Kurt." Jean gave a nervous nod before receiving a friendly pat from Kurt. "Rogue you're with Kitty." Surprisingly, the two young women looked a little miffed at this pairing; Xavier put it out of his mind. "Rahne, you'll go with Jamie."

Jamie muttered "In my dreams, maybe," drawing an angry blush from the young Scot.

"Now, our three most likely areas are the old Acolyte warehouse …" the place had become a virtual mutant hangout since the Acolytes had disbanded.

"… the latest Morlock camp, which seems to be located here, according to Cerebro," Xavier pointed to a map indicating a gathering of mutants directly under a TV station.

"… and, of course, the Brotherhood."

"I call Brotherhood!" Rogue immediately shouted. Maybe this would be a good opportunity to settle the Lance issue, though Kitty's scowl said she didn't think much of the idea. Xavier noticed this exchange and gently asked.

"Is that all right with you, Kitty?"

"What? Oh, well … sure," she grumbled.

"Very well. Any other preferences?" Hearing silence greet him, Xavier continued. "Then, Jean, you and Kurt will watch the old warehouse, while Jamie and Rahne approach the Morlocks. Remember, this is an observation mission. Keep your eyes open, but don't let yourself be seen."

**Brotherhood Boarding House**

"You've got to be kidding."

"Alvers. I don't spend the taxpayers' money to come here and make jokes."

"You seriously want us to help you take down Magneto?" Lance Alvers thought he had heard it all, but this … being recruited by the government to hunt down their old boss?

Valerie just smiled. "You've all fought him before. You know better than anyone how he fights. In fact," she turned to Wanda "I believe you nearly took him down yourself during that fight with the Sentinel." She gave a dramatic sigh. "That day was full of surprises."

Wanda looked away. She remembered that fight, though why she'd try to kill her father …

Quick as usual, Pietro butted in. "Sowhynotcallinoneofyourprivatearmies?"

Valerie blinked. She couldn't catch that "Excuse me?"

Fred interrupted. "He's wondering why you're coming to us."

"Does that matter?" she asked, returning to her poker face.

"Depends," answered an unusually thoughtful Toad. "We sign up, what do we get?" Seeing the glares from the others, he shrugged. "Hey, just wondering."

Valerie was glad he'd asked. "You sign on to my task force, I can pay you enough to cover your day-to-day living expenses." She paused for a moment. "This is a government operation, so you won't be filthy rich. But I can see to it that this place is fixed up and that your power, water, and food is provided for." She glanced at Fred. "Yes, even yours."

"In return, I expect that you keep this arrangement between us, you stay out of trouble, and, when you're needed, anywhere, at any time, you drop what you're doing and head over." Her face hardened. "That's the gist of it. You break any of the rules, the buck stops and I see to it that no one sees or hears from you again."

The room was silent for a few seconds. Hesitatingly, Lance spoke up. "What if we say no now?"

"Then I go back to Washington, get reassigned for neglecting my duty, and this conversation never happened."

"Could you give us some time?" asked Wanda.

Valerie stood up. "Fine. If you want in, meet me at the Bicar Lounge at JFK at …" she checked her watch. "5:00 sharp. Look for bright red shoes. If you're a minute late, I walk and the whole deal's off." Without waiting for a reply, she headed for the door.

"Wait!" Toad hopped up. "There's one small problem, nothing too big. See, Lance's jeep is outta gas, so, uh, getting to the airport … well, we might run into problems, yo, so …"

Without a word, Valerie pulled out her wallet and began counting out bills, slapping a small stack into Toad's hands. "This should cover cab fare for the six of you."

As she walked out the door, leaving a silent household behind, she couldn't help smiling. _Those guys must be cash strapped. Good, they just might be the desperate types I need._ She sighed. _I just hope they show up. _

As she headed for her car, she failed to notice the raven in the tree that had been sitting there since she arrived. The mind inside the raven was smirking. _Cooper, you are so predictable; I knew the McCoy image would come in handy_. As she left, so did the raven, only the raven headed for her own car parked several streets over. As it touched down, a cold, hard, blue face emerged while it increased in size and grew blue arms and legs from its former shape.

As she stepped into the car, her new employer's voice rang out. "Well?"

"She just left. It looks like Magneto may have a busy time dodging his old team," She smiled. Perhaps he would learn something about betrayal. She added, "Oh, and his two children may be among them."

"I thought they were with Magneto," he answered, sounding unimpressed.

"Who knows. Apparently, according to Pietro, he cast them off when they wouldn't take part in his latest scheme."

"Which is?"

She shifted uncomfortably. "They wouldn't say."

"Of course not," he answered harshly. "Then they have either betrayed Magneto or are about to betray the Brotherhood. Either way, Magneto will have a busy time in the future." The voice paused for a moment. "I will be overseas for some time now; in the meantime, I have another assignment for you."

**Brotherhood House: A Few Minutes Earlier**

"Is that her?"

Looking at the photo ID Xavier had provided them, Rogue nodded. "Ya, looks like it."

"Cuz' she's leaving."

"Crap."

"Got it covered." Rogue watched as Kitty withdrew a magnetic tracker from her purse, aimed, and tossed it toward the car's underside just as it took off. "Got a signal?"

Switching on the tracker's counterpart, Rogue saw a blinking dot move across a city map, picking up speed. Instead of answering, Rogue switched on her com badge. "Rogue to team. Looks like our cat just left our position. Heading east right now, but we've got it on tracker." Rogue read the numbers at the bottom of the screen.

Jean's voice came over the com. "Good work, you two. There's nobody at the old warehouse now, so my team will follow the 'cat'. You two find out what you can from the Brotherhood."

"Great," Kitty mumbled.

"Any orders for the Underdwellers?" came Rahne's amused voice.

After a short pause, Jean responded. "Stay on the line. You're our backup, so I want you to try and follow the car's position down there."

"Understood."

Rogue flashed Kitty a wicked grin. "How about seeing your boyfriend?"

Kitty's glare could have killed her.

**Sewer Systems, New York**

As Rahne tucked away the radio, Jamie remarked "Looks like we get training after all."

"Aye." Examining the readout, Rahne pointed down the tunnels. "Car's six blocks that way, moving fast. We'd better hurry." Without another word, the Scot shifted to her wolf form and scampered down the tunnel.

"Oh, man," Jamie groaned as he started to run.

**Highway 93, Bayville.**

Valerie checked her watch as she tore down the highway. Just over an hour to her meeting with the Brotherhood, if all went well. Then, her hunt could begin.

**Brotherhood House**

"I don't trust her," Lance snapped.

"Me neither, but we _are _out of food. And we could use the money," Fred replied.

"Yeah, and anyway, we don't have to do anything until she finds Magneto. Which she probably won't, right?" Toad added, looking inquisitively at Wanda and Pietro.

Pyro spoke up. "Hey mates, do I get a say …?"

"NO!" the three boys shouted.

"But …"

"NO!"

Pyro shrugged. "At least those blokes agree on something," he muttered.

"Look, if we say no now, what's to stop her from disappearing us anyway?" Wanda asked.

"Nothing, really," grunted Pietro. "I'm with Wanda. I say we play her game for now. Then, we pay our bills, get the dump cleaned up, and, who knows, maybe we find out what she's really up to."

"Who asked you, anyway?" grunted Lance.

Before Pietro could answer, the doorbell rang.

"We're not late already, are we?" asked a confused Toad, checking his watch before recalling it hadn't worked in over a year.

Lance just shook his head. "I'll get it," he muttered as he headed for the front hall. He needed some space, anyway.

As he opened the door, Lance immediately regretted his decision. _Not the kinda space I wanted._

"Hi Lance," said a stone-faced Kitty.

"Kitty …" he scratched his neck – this was about as awkward as it got. "…uhhh, hi?"

Seeing him standing there, in front of her, Kitty just couldn't hold it in.

"Not happy to see me Lance? Huh? I, like, leave for one year and suddenly I'm nothing?" At this point, Kitty couldn't even notice the tears springing to her eyes. "Why, Lance? Just tell me why? Was I too high-maintenance? Did you meet someone else?" She took a few ragged breaths.

Lance could only stare in shock. He had never seen Kitty like this. "Uhhh." Before he could answer, he glanced at the window and noticed the reflection of a group of heads peeking out of the living room. "Get a life!" he shouted at them before stepping outside and shutting the door. Facing Kitty, he tried again. "Kitty …"

"Forget it, Lance. See you around," Kitty muttered. According to the signal she got, she had bought Rogue enough time to sneak in. She couldn't stand another minute of the place, anyway.

"No, wait …" Lance decided he had to explain it to her. As she turned to leave, he reached out and grabbed her arm.

"Don't touch me!" she screamed. Surprisingly, instead of phasing through his grip, she gave him a hard shove. She began to run, only to stumble on a suddenly shaky ground. "Lance!" she shrieked. The shaking stopped as Lance walked over and sat her up.

"You want to know why?" Shocked, Kitty nodded. "Fine, about the phone, the service stopped working the week after you left. We couldn't afford cell phones or internet. Not everything was 'provided for,'" he sneered.

"Why didn't you leave a message at the school?" Kitty asked.

"Are you kidding?! They'd have thrown me out before I could get a word in!"

"They wouldn't!"

"Sorry, but you know they would."

"You could've come back to them!" she sobbed. Softly, she added, "You could've come back to me."

Lance's face hardened. "Sorry, Kat, but the bottom line is, I'm. Not. Good. Enough. For. You. Never was, never will be. Like you said, I'm just a hood."

"You didn't even try …!"

"Bullshit!" Lance's face had turned a deep red as his voice raised. "I did try! I tried joining the X men! I tried being the 'good guy'! I still kept ending up as the 'hood'!" He took a deep breath, then continued in a softer voice. "I'm just … sick of trying, Kitty. Especially when it never works out."

Kitty was out of tears by now. She could only stare at Lance. She had seen something like this coming for a while now. But now, for all the preparation, her mind was at a loss.

"So, that's it, then," was all she could manage.

Lance nodded. "Yeah." To her surprise, he offered her a hand as he stood up. "Look, Kat, if it helps any, you probably won't have to deal with my gang of 'hoods' anymore. So, you won't see me around." He sighed as he turned to go, until Kitty's voice stopped him.

"You're going after Magneto, aren't you?"

Shocked, Lance turned to face Kitty, who now wore a hard expression. "How …"

"Lance she came to us already." Kitty stepped forward. "Do you have any idea what you're getting into?"

"She didn't exactly leave us much choice." He shrugged. "I don't trust her either, but this may be the only way to find out what she's up to."

"Maybe not," Kitty offered. "Where's she meeting you?"

Lance hesitated. He was walking a fine line here. But… what the hell.

"She told us to be at the airport's Bicar Lounge by 5:00, and to look for bright red shoes. Now get out of here!" he whispered, giving her a light shove. Kitty nodded. As Lance hurried inside, she pulled out her badge and whispered. "Rogue, I have Val's destination."

"Not now, Kitty … YAAHHH!" A crash followed.

**Sewer Systems**

Rahne finally slowed down, allowing a panting Jamie to catch up. "You best pick it up, lad. The car won't wait."

"Don't call me lad." Jamie gasped. He stopped for a second, trying to catch his breath. "I'm not a kid anymore."

"You sure?" Rahne quipped.

"That's not even funny! Of course I'm sure! I would know, wouldn't I?!" he snapped. He stopped to rub his face.

Rahne's feline face seemed to soften. "I'm sorry, Jamie. I just …" Jamie interrupted.

"Look, just go on without me if I'm slowing you down," he bitterly waved toward the tunnels.

Turning to leave, Jamie was surprised when a pair of paws reached out and twisted him around.

"You wouldn't expect me to leave my pack behind, now, would ye?" she stated, staring directly at him.

Jamie blushed. "Well, uh …"

"Come now. I'll slow down to your pace if ye can't move any faster."

"I can't," he admitted. Then a thought occurred to him. "Not by myself anyway"

With that, a line of Jamies began spreading down the tunnel. The Jamie in the rear gave Rahne a cheerful wave before fusing with the clone in front of him. "See ya!" they shouted in unison.

"Well, if ye insist." she chuckled, resuming her run. "Hey Jamie! Ye know where yer goin'?"

**Brotherhood House**

"Damn." Rogue whispered. Having borrowed Kitty's phasing power, she had slipped into the basement to spy on the others while Kitty distracted them. Unfortunately, her attempt to listen through the floor on top of an old, unused bookshelf had gone awry when the bookshelf collapsed under her weight. _No more fried chicken._

"Oy! Who's down there?" a familiar Australian voice called. _Pyro? Kinda figures, actually._

"Pyro, give me a light." Rogue's eyes widened. _Pietro? Wasn't he with Magneto? Then where's_ … her question was soon answered as Wanda's voice cut in. "Looks like your girlfriend brought friends."

"She's not my girlfriend." Rogue's eyes narrowed. _Jerk. Had to do that while Kitty's on a mission._

Rogue finally decided to hide against the wall near the entrance. Her only chance was to ambush the first to enter, then use their powers to fight her way out.

"Hello? X Geek?" called out a voice from inside the room. Rogue's heart sank. If it was Pietro down here, he would prove impossible to escape and even harder to catch. _That is, unless he doesn't see me coming_. Without another thought, she launched herself toward the voice.

"Hey! What going … AAAHHHH!" Pietro screamed as Rogue's bare hand caught his face, quickly silencing him. Rogue grinned despite herself. Now for her getaway.

Pyro grinned at Wanda. "Your bro sounds like he's having a fine old time, eh shelia?"

Wanda glared. "Shut up and get down there."

"Well if the lady insists … WOOAHHH!" Pyro screamed as a green blur sped past him and out the front door. Wanda's eyes narrowed; she knew there was only one X man that could use another's powers. _Rogue_.

Outside, Rogue stopped for an instant to grab Kitty. "Let'sgo." She yelled before taking off down the street.

"Wait!"

Rogue finally stopped. "WhatisitKitty? Youallright?"

Kitty stared. "You're talking like Pietro."

"Iknow. Icanthelpit. Sowhydidwestop?"

"Because I know where the government lady's going."

**Brotherhood House. 1 Hour Later**

"Pietro, wake up." Wanda ordered, slapping her brother's face.

Pietro only groaned. "Not now."

Growling in frustration, Wanda called out. "Pyro!"

A slightly dizzy Pyro entered. "Huhh?"

"Wake him up."

"But … oooh." Pyro grinned mischievously as he came over.

Pietro woke up to intense heat. "AAAYYY!" he screamed as he sped out to the bathroom.

"Good, you're awake," grunted Lance as he gathered his gear. "We have to get moving. But first we have to gas up the jeep. We're not going in a cab," he finished, tossing Pietro the wad of bills.

Pietro understood immediately. In a matter of minutes, he was back with several full tanks of gas, along with snacks for the road. Within minutes, the new Brotherhood team was fully suited and on the road.

**JFK** **Airport**

"Lead, this is the Brother group."

"Go ahead," Jean replied.

"We just a location. The cat's meeting the hoods at the Bicar Lounge at JFK. She'll apparently be wearing red shoes."

"How'd you get all that?"

"Don't ask." Even over the radio, Kitty sounded bitter.

Jean decided she could go into it later. "All right. Head for the airport, we'll meet you there."

"Got it. Rogue, wait AAAHHHHH!"

Jean switched frequencies. "Underdwellers, you there?"

"Right here," answered a breathless Rahne. Odd, Jean noted; it normally took a lot to wear out Rahne.

"Keep following the cat; I just got word she's heading for JFK, but call in if she changes directions. We'll wait at the meeting place."

"Understood."

Jean noticed a blue furry hand on her shoulder. "Vant a lift?" Kurt offered.

"I thought your limit was two miles."

"So we make stops along the way. Plus, I've been dying to give my new image inducer a real test."

Jean rolled her eyes. Kurt had gotten the upgrades to his image inducer from Forge as a birthday present. Now, he could store several appearances on it, and even change his voice. It had made for some awkward encounters at the mansion. "Kurt, we're not on this mission to test-drive our toys."

"Oh, come on! It'll help me blend in!" On cue, his form shifted into an aged man with sunglasses. "How do I look?" he asked in a deep voice with an English accent.

"Disturbing. Can you just get me to the airport already?"

**Sewer System**

Jamie grinned at a panting Rahne. "Coming?"

"Just a second," she growled. Fixing her eyes on Jamie, she added, "Ye wore me out, this time."

"I'm flattered," he smirked.

Rahne shook her head. "Ye've been learning too much from the Roberto and the older boys."

"Is that bad?" he asked, a little confused.

"I just prefer the young Jamie, is all." Seeing his eyes widen in shock, she bared her teeth in a fierce grin. "So. Ye comin'?" she asked before speeding down the tunnel.

"Anywhere, m'lady." He whispered. Then it hit him. "Aw, man. Now I'm talking like her!"

**JFK** **Airport: 4:00 PM**

_Finally_, thought Valerie as she slipped into a booth, having changed into civilian dress with the vital red shoes. _I owe myself a meal, for now_ she decided, signalling for a waiter.

Outside, an old man walked over to the redhead at the bench.

"She's in there. Her red shoes are, anyway"

Jean nodded. So, their target had arrived, the Brotherhood was probably on its way, and…

And what?

She hadn't thought this part through. She knew she had to find Cooper and get info from her. But how?

An idea occurred to her. _Hey Kurt_, she sent via telepathy. The old man in sight shuffled over. "You have any Brotherhood members on that image inducer?" she whispered.

The old man gave a nervous chuckle. "Ehhh …" Seeing Jean's face harden, he confessed. "Just one."

"Who?"

Inside the Lounge, Valerie was just beginning to tuck into her meal when she heard someone say "Nice shoes."

Narrowing her eyes, Valerie managed to nod her thanks before the woman spoke again. "Is this seat taken?" Valerie waved at it with her fork. As the woman sat down, her face became visible.

"You're early," Valerie hissed.

"You're here, aren't you?" answered Wanda Maximoff.

"Where are the others?"

"Outside. They're not exactly discreet."

"Fine," Valerie snapped. Putting down her fork, she continued. "I assume they're all ready to sign on?"

"We want some answers first."

"I've told you all you need to know."

"I don't think so."

"Then you'll have to deal, won't you."

"Oh, I will."

At that moment, Valerie thought she could feel an incredible headache coming on. "Ahh" she grunted, holding her head. After a few seconds, the headache stopped and Wanda spoke up again. "What do you know. A government employee, on the level with the professor. This _is _a strange new world."

"Wanda …" Valerie gasped.

"She's on her way, with the Brotherhood. I'm just here to make sure you weren't planning anything _else._" She stood up. "You'd better wait for your new team. Good luck handling them. And don't worry, I didn't look at anything else." She turned around, then paused and looked back at Valerie. "Oh, by the way, I was never here." As she stalked out of the restaurant, Valerie rubbed her head, wondering where that headache had come from.

Meeting with a short, hooded creature, Jean headed out of the airport before activating her com badge. "Lead to team. Mission accomplished. Everybody head home." She took a deep breath. She hadn't planned to go that far, and was sure to catch hell from the Professor for it. Well, at least they knew what Cooper was up to.

"Here zhey come" whispered Kurt, watching the jeep pull up. While Blob, Toad, and Pyro waited in the jeep, Lance, Pietro, and Wanda marched inside.

"Magneto's in for a rough time."

**Xavier Institute: Evening**

"Was it really necessary, Jean?" Xavier asked softly. He'd been none too happy to find out about Jean's actions against Cooper.

"I'm sorry, Professor. We had to get information, and I saw that as the only way to do it without starting a fight with the Brotherhood."

"Don't lie to both of us, Jean. There were other ways that didn't involve a direct assault on her mind! A government employee, no less! You realize what will happen when she tells her superiors?"

"She doesn't know it was the X men," Jean answered, somewhat feebly. "In fact, she doesn't remember me at all," she added.

"Regardless. You know how I feel about probing every mind that strikes our suspicions. If we keep acting that recklessly, especially with powers like yours, then we become precisely the menace people like Kelly paint us as!"

Eyes cast downward, Jean nodded.

Xavier sighed. "All right. Other than your actions with Cooper, I must say you did a first-class job managing your team. However, I'm afraid you'll have to sit out the next mission and think about your actions – long and hard." he emphasized. Jean nodded silently. "Go get some rest for now."

Jean fled the room, her mind racing. The Professor was right; she had crossed a line probing Cooper. She had been desperate to complete the mission, and picked the easiest route, disregarding the consequences. Now it was done, and she couldn't take it back.

What scared her, however, was the feeling that had overtaken her when she had probed Cooper's mind. At that moment, she felt as powerful as she'd ever been; no mind was closed to her, nothing got in her way …

She shook her head, trying to drive that memory from her mind. So this was how mutants like Magneto or Mystique felt when they used their powers on helpless humans.

Jean had never felt so low in her life. She didn't deserve to lead, she didn't deserve her powers…

Scott, heading for the room they shared, saw Jean leaning against their door, breathing raggedly. "Jean?" he called. When she didn't answer, he ran the rest of the way and took her hand. "Jean?" he whispered.

"Scott…"

"Did something happen? On the mission?"

Eyes teary, Jean nodded.

Scott knew that look. "Is anyone hurt?"

Jean shook her head. "No, no one was hurt" she whispered hoarsely.

Scott was confused. "So what happened? What's wrong?"

For once, their telepathic bond failed them, as Jean could only lean forward and sob into Scott's shoulder. Surprised, Scott simply nodded and slowly led Jean toward the bed. As he laid her down, he noticed her grip tightening. "Don't go." She whispered through her sobs.

"I'm not going anywhere" he whispered back as he lay down beside her. "But, uh, someone should get the door." Smiling ever so slightly, Jean gave the door a slight push.

Jean wasn't the only one swimming in tears. Kitty had retreated to her bed upon returning to the mansion. Rogue explained to the Professor about Kitty's run-in with Lance. The Professor had listened quietly, then warned her to never drag a friend into situations like that again. Rogue had not felt this rotten since Kitty had crashed her four-wheeler right after Rogue had left her. _Some friend I turned out to be_.

For now, she had to check on Kitty, at least make sure she would be okay. Opening the door to their room, she saw Kitty lying wide awake, staring at the ceiling. Kneeling, beside her, Rogue whispered "Hey Kitty?"

"Go away."

Rogue's heart dropped a few more feet. "Look, I just wanted to apologize for dragging you over there, for making you face Lance, hell, for everything." She could feel her own tears starting. "Look, I'll go away now. Anne Rice could probably use some company in the library." As she stood up to leave, Kitty suddenly grabbed her around the waist, wrapping her in a tight hug.

"Jerk. Like I'd dump Lance _and_ you in one day." Kitty mumbled.

"I'm flattered" mumbled Rogue.

"You do, like, owe me, you realize?" added Kitty, looking straight up at Rogue.

Rogue dropped to her knees. "Name it."

"Well, you could, like, start by telling me what the heck happened with you in that basement."

Rogue shook her head. "I climbed on some bookshelf to listen through the ceiling. Except the damn bookshelf wasn't that sturdy, so it broke down and I went down with it." She got up and examined herself in the mirror. "I knew I was putting on weight."

"You look fine to me, _cherie_."

Rogue froze. She knew that voice. In fact, there he was, in the mirror leaning against the doorway.

"Gambit?" she whispered, turning to face the newcomer.

"Been a long time," he smirked, stepping toward her.

"Why…How… How did you shrink half a foot?!" she exclaimed, realizing she wasn't looking up at him like usual.

'Gambit' winced. Caught. Reluctantly, Kurt deactivated the inducer, dropping the Gambit image. "Sorry, _mein shwester_; I couldn't resist."

Rogue sputtered. "Oh, you are SO GETTING IT FOR THAT ONE, FUZZY!" Before she could lift a finger, Kurt vanished in his customary puff of sulphur.

"I'll get him later," she grumbled. Turning back, she noticed that Kitty had her face buried in a wet pillow, her shoulder's shaking uncontrollably. "Kitty? You all right?"

Kitty lifted her head. This time, she was giggling uncontrollably. "Oh, Rogue!" she gasped. "If you'd seen your face …"

"Ugghhh!" Rogue grunted, throwing up her hands. "That's it. Library it is!" she growled, grabbing her sheet.

"Sorry stripes, it's curfew." grunted Logan as he appeared in the doorway. He gestured toward her bed.

"But … ohhh!" Rogue growled as she hid under her sheets, planning to stay there a long time.

Logan glanced at Kitty. "What's with her?"

Kitty was too busy giggling to answer.

Logan shook his head. "Kids."

**Brotherhood House.**

"Great, now we're soldiers for No Such Agency," grumbled Lance.

Pyro slapped him on the back. "Cheer up, mate! Tomorrow we get the place cleaned, the TV working …"

"And some groceries in the fridge," Fred mumbled, staring at his card.

"Anyway, they don't activate us until they actually find the bucket-head," Toad laughed. "This is my kinda job!"

Pietro and Wanda remained silent.

Though Cooper seemed a bit off when they arrived, the meeting had gone smoother than imagined. Cooper had given them a secure phone and the access codes to a Swiss bank account she had assigned to them, then told them a cleaning crew would be on its way to the house tomorrow along with several agents to swear them in. Only other thing she expected, she added near the end, was that they change their name to escape casual checks by her superiors.

When they arrived at the boarding house, Pietro turned to the Brotherhood members and told them "Listen, we'll be right back. I wanna clean out my bank account before dear old daddy does."

"Sure, whatever," Fred grunted as he waddled toward the boarding front door.

"Just don't forget the snacks!" Pyro called.

"Don't make me wait up, babycakes!"

After giving the pair one suspicious look, Lance followed them into the house.

At the gas station, Pietro grabbed a pay phone and dialled a number only he and Wanda knew.

"Who is this?"

"It's us. Things didn't quite go as planned."

"What happened? Have you contacted the Brotherhood yet?"

"Yeah, that's the thing. Somebody beat us to it."

"Explain."

"Some lady, Valerie Cooper, from the NSA, apparently. She offered to pay the bills if they would work for her. Wanda and I had to play along." He took a breath, wondering how his father would take this. "Uh, we're supposed to be hunting you down, father."

On the other end of the line, Magneto remained silent. It wasn't often that humans surprised him. Enlisting mutants to hunt down other mutants … Finally, he was able to speak. "Does she know you're communicating with me?"

"Nah. Even the guys shouldn't know. We're at a pay phone."

"Good. Keep it that way. Learn what you can about this …operation." After a short pause, he added, "Watch out for yourselves."

"Will do." The line went dead. Magneto turned to face the window. Never one for sentimental displays, he nonetheless had to let his children know how much they mattered to him. As his thoughts turned on this Valerie Cooper …

"Hunt me all you like," he whispered. _You have no idea what you're getting into_.

**Coming Up on X Men Evolution**

"_Sam and Piotr have both come to me about family emergencies in their homelands," Xavier stated._

"_I gotta go home, sir," Sam blurted out. "Mah sister's in trouble."_

"_These mutants are to be sentenced within the week ..."_

"_ILLYANA!" Piotr roared in anguish._

_Illyana ran only a few metres before being tackled from behind_

_Paige writhed in agony as a new wave of pain hit her._

"_Can't you try and treat her," Ed demanded._

_Hank looked up as a thought hit him._

_Scott stared. "Hank, please tell me you're not thinking of using that on Paige."_

"_We simply wish to take Rasputin's family off your hands," Ororo insisted._

"_Keep tracking them," the controller told Major Uzkhov. "The X Men may be necessary to draw the targets out."_

_Warren found himself surrounded by armed soldiers._

"_What're you doin' in our town, mutie?" the young man demanded._

_A crowd was growing in both size and anger._

"_Open fire," the Russian officer ordered his lieutenant as his troops surrounded the x men._

**Author's Note**

And that concludes the second episode of this series. Yes, Lance and Kitty are officially over, and, yes, the Brotherhood has just been recruited by the government (how else would they end up with SHIELD?) As for Mystique's new employer, I leave it to you to guess; he will reveal himself soon. In the meantimes, looking forward to reviews. Peace!


	3. You Can't Go Home Again 1

"**Anti-mutant riots reached a new height today, as a mob set fire to the Orphan's Home, which was known for housing both humans and mutants. Despite the intervention of both the Bayville Fire Department and Xavier's X men, several mutant children were killed in this particularly savage attack. **

**Chief Bronson has gone on record stating that this attack was only the latest in a series hate crimes directed against mutants."**

"**These attacks are solving nothing."** Chief Bronson grimly stated. "**Burning buildings and murdering children does not protect anyone in any way. Mutants are citizens of Bayville like all of you. If you attack them, or anyone else, it makes you a criminal, nothing more."**

"**Mayor and Senatorial-Candidate Robert Kelly had his own comments."**

"**As Mayor, I deplore such violence against anyone, human or otherwise. However, we must face the fact that these problems will not go away until these mistakes of nature are properly dealt with. Like it or not, we cannot continue living under the same roof with people capable of triggering thunderstorms, blowing up buildings, taking over our minds, and God knows what else."** Kelly leaned toward the camera. "**Mutants may have their place, but it cannot be on our streets and in our homes, not among normal human beings. Not if we ever wish to feel safe again!"**

"**The perpertrators of this attack have been tentatively identified as members of the group Friends of Humanity, though no formal charges have been filed …"**

Xavier switched off the television and rubbed his scalp. Since they were first exposed, he'd known that they would face an uphill struggle. Somehow, though, a large part of him refused to believe it would be this violent. _Could Magneto have been right? Is this the only possible outcome for mutants and humans?_

Xavier banished that thought. He should have simply remembered that change never came easy for any society in over 5000 years. Still, that didn't make the brutality he was seeing any easier to accept.

Xavier checked his watch. He had a Cerebro session in 5 minutes. For years, he had relied on Cerebro to keep him updated on mutant activity around the globe. It was a part of his duties that he hated the most. For years, he had fought for mutant rights, worked to see mutants accepted by humankind as one of their own. Yet here he was, using his powers to monitor mutants like a like a mutant Eye of Power. _There has to be a better way_. _Or perhaps all dreams simply have reality to contend with_.

**Crash 'n Burn Diner. Kentucky, Illinois**

The news story did not stop inside Bayville. Within minutes, the story was airing on television across the country. The networks had long decided that mutant attacks were a hot issue, one that drove ratings through the roof. Hence, they had to spread the story as far as they could reach. "You get a guaranteed reaction, one way or another" a network executive had joked over lunch. They had no idea.

"Now that just beat all, don'it?" grumbled Mark, a mine worker in Kentucky. "They goin' after kids now?"

"Serve's 'em right," his friend Bob put in. "They should be staying outta our towns anyway."

"They're _children_, Bob," argued his girlfriend Izzy. "And they at an orphanage, ain't they? That usually means they got nowhere else to go."

"I cain think of a few places to send 'em. Lahke Alcatraz for starters," Bob joked.

"For what? They ain't done nothing 'cept be born with an extra foot or som'tin," Izzy answered.

"More'n we can say f'you," Mark helpfully added.

"_Mark_" Izzy whispered, but it was too late; Mark had struck a drunken nerve, and suddenly found Bob's hands around his throat.

"Got a problem with me, mutie-lover?" Bob growled.

"Hey!" The two were quickly separated as Todd, the bartender, stepped in.

Down at the end of the bar, Edward Guthrie shook his head as he watched the exchange. Those two were the best of friends, yet any talk about mutants and they were literally at each others' throats. It seemed, these days, even humans were not safe from the mutant-haters if they crossed them. And now the worst of them was running for the U.S. Senate.

"Hey Ed, ain't that your boy?" one of the patrons called out. Edward turned back to the television just in time to catch his son literally flying out of the burning orphanage, a child tucked under each arm. _Damn, Sam, the life you've chosen_. He'd sent Sam to Xavier's school hoping the professor could keep Sam safe and give him a chance at a normal life. Now he was leading a team of mutants into burning buildings or battling super mutants like that Apocalypse. Though he was glad that Sam had found a chance to use his powers for good causes, that did not untie the knot in his stomach that formed whenever he thought of Sam's new life.

Holding the bar phone, Todd interrupted Edward's reverie. "Hey, Ed. Got a call here from your missus. She sounds upset."

Edward's stomach tightened – it usually took a lot to get Ellen upset. He quickly grabbed the receiver from Todd. "Honey?"

"Ed …" Ellen sounded more choked up than he'd ever heard her.

"What is it?" he asked, the dread entering his voice.

"It's Paige."

**Xavier Institute**

A bored, restless Piotr Rasputin lumbered through the hallways, looking for what the Americans would call entertainment. He had seriously considered going to the Danger Room, but decided against it – the daily sessions from Logan were enough.

He had tried the library, but found he could not keep his mind on a book – too much was going on. Yet again, Piotr found himself wishing there was something to build or farm. Unfortunately, he was living near the city, so there was little room for either.

As a last resort, he was heading to the recreation room to see if he could find anyone to … what was it they called it … 'hang on with.' Piotr shook his head. American slang seemed impossible to grasp.

As he neared the rec room, his spirits lifted slightly as he heard voices.

"Ya gotta be kidding meh, Kitty."

"Rogue …"

"Jean invites everyone to the mall, Scott has tickets to the big game, and you're in here watching soaps?!"

"You're still here."

"Cuz' Ah hate shopping and baseball."

"Well … so do I, then."

"Come on."

"I just don't feel like going out today, okay?"

"Okay, okay. But Ah am NOT leaving you to the soapies."

"Rogue! I was watching that!"

Piotr slowly opened the door to see Rogue and Kitty wrestling over the remote control. As he entered the room, Kitty had just phased it through Rogue's hands.

"Ugh! You do that again, Kitty, and Ah swear …!"

"Excuse me?" Piotr timidly interrupted. Both young women winced as they realized they'd been caught fighting like teenagers. Piotr fought a grin; American women were so self-conscious.

"Hey, Peter," mumbled an embarrassed Kitty, still grasping the remote. "Uhh, what's up?"

Not for the first time, Piotr's mind raced as he searched for something to say. "Errr, I was curious about … soapies?" He cursed to himself; speaking in American was still confusing.

"Ya ain't missin' much, Peter," muttered Rogue, earning a nasty glare from Kitty.

"Don't listen to her; Rogue can't watch anything when nobody's, like beating each other to a pulp or hacking them up."

Rogue glared at Kitty, though she was not far off. "Ah just don't get how you can stand shows where everybody is either cheating on somebody or plottin' to murder them."

Out of comebacks, Kitty simply grumbled "whatever," and began to channel-surf. After a few equally unappealing images, she turned to Peter and asked "Any shows you like, Peter?"

"Oh, uuhhh, I do not often watch television."

"Probably better for it," muttered Rogue.

Ignoring Rogue, Kitty continued to flip through channel after channel. "God, there's, like, nothing on."

"Try the off button," Rogue suggested as she hopped off the couch. "Besides, Ahm sick o' sittin' 'round. Anyone feel like …"

"Wait! Go back!" Piotr suddenly interrupted. Surprised, Kitty began backtracking …

"There!" Piotr was now leaning over Kitty as he stared intently at the screen, causing her to blush and squirm.

"Uh, Peter …" she began.

"Where sound?!" Kitty, still blushing, obediently adjusted the sound as Rogue watched the scene with a mixture of confusion and amusement.

"… **just received word that all of those gathered behind me are confirmed mutants. They were captured today after attempting to escape the Diepnir Internment Facility."**

"Damn," muttered Rogue. "Somebody beat Kelly to it."

"Peter?" Kitty asked, growing concerned. Piotr's eyes had not left the TV and his hands were gripping the couch hard enough that the wood was starting to crumble.

"**In accordance with the Mutant Management Act, these rebels have been charged with state treason, and are to be sentenced within the week."**

"NO!" Even Rogue was taken by surprise when Piotr brought a metal fist down upon the couch, smashing it in two and narrowly missing Kitty. Without pause, he picked up half of the couch, only to be tackled by Kitty, who used her powers to trap Piotr in the floor.

"Peter! Stop!" Kitty ordered, grabbing his face. Instead, he continued to struggle, roaring in anguish. Only a slap in the face from Rogue's bare hand slowed him down.

"Ya finished, Tin Man, or do Ah have to suck you dry?" growled Rogue. Piotr could only look away, realizing what he had nearly done.

"Peter what's wrong?" Kitty asked frantically, searching his face. "What did you see?"

Piotr took several pained breaths. Finally, he whispered. "Illyana …"

**Cerebro Room**

Xavier was in his element. Though he often griped about using Cerebro while in his office, Xavier could not deny the sense of peace and freedom it allowed him. Here, he was given space from the rants and strife of the immediate reality and allow his mind to, quite literally, wander, listening for mutant signatures.

Many days, Xavier could roam in silence, as he had decided early on to focus his scans to mutants manifesting their power for the first time, which cast a different signature than those cast by mutants simply using their power. Cerebro logged mutant powers on its own, which Xavier would only refer to in emergencies. No, here, simply wished to seek out those who were confronted by their new found abilities and offer them his help as quickly as possible. It also allowed his X men to practice their interpersonal skills on recruitment missions, which could be more difficult than they seemed. Just a few months ago, Bobby and Tabitha had managed to scare off a potential recruit when their egos got the better of them …

A sudden shift jolted Xavier from his reverie. Focusing his attention, Xavier began to study the flare, knowing what it could only mean …

**Guthrie Home, Kentucky: Same Time**

"Paige? Paige, look at me honey!"

The adolescent ignored her father and continued to stare at her knees, clutching herself and groaning in pain.

"Edward! She needs a doctor!"

"No kiddin', but which one?" Since the town had found out about Sam's mutation, most of the local doctors had refused to see anyone remotely related to the 'flying freak.' Paige's checkups were now being handled by the recent arrival Dr. Essex, a rare soul who was willing to treat mutants. Unfortunately, Essex was out of town and was proving impossible to track down.

"She's been like this for hours, Ed! We gotta do something!" She lay on her small bed, clutching her pet rock as her body wracked in pain.

"Ah know," he answered gravely, racking his brain. The local doctors were no help, Essex was unreachable, and he didn't know many out-of-town doctors who could fly in on a moment's notice. Unless …

"Ellen, where's the number Sam left us?"

**Bayville Arena**

"Man, these guys are pokes!" Bobby complained. "Do we have to cheer for them?"

"They don't exactly have ice under their feet, Drake," quipped Roberto.

"Besides," added Scott, "they are our home team. Show some spirit!"

"I'd rather another game of mutantball," Bobby grumbled. "Besides, cheers from the mutie crowd would probably make them do their worst."

"Bobby!" snapped Scott, though he knew Bobby's remark was more true than false. Scott had been lucky to get these tickets, and making their way to their seats had been no picnic, especially after someone bumped into Jamie and been knocked down by the crowd of Jamies that appeared.

"Hey, Kurt, will ya port the whiner outta here before he ruins the game?" mumbled an exasperated Sam.

"Oh, man," Kurt simply murmured, seeing what was coming.

"Hey Fearless Leader, I'm right here, in case you haven't noticed," called Bobby. Sam ignored him until he found his hot dog frozen solid.

"Oh, that is it!" he growled to himself. Before he could start exacting his revenge, an object began vibrating in his pocket. _Of all the times …_ Forgetting about Bobby for the moment, Sam whipped his phone out and simply grunted "Yeah?"

**Cerebro Room, Xavier Institute**

MUTANT SIGNATURE DETECTED

NATURE: UNKNOWN

START TIME: 1847

LOCATION: KENTUCKY

Xavier was listening intently as Cerebro catalogued the information it had gathered about the new mutant. At the moment, it offered him little to go on except the approximate location. About the new mutant's powers, all he could tell was that it was their first manifestation and that they involved shifting molecular matter, which could mean a number of things.

As Xavier made a mental note to send a team to Kentucky, another outburst caught his attention.

**Mutant** **Detention Center: Siberia, Russia**

Shivering, Illyana Rasputin chanced a look around. Huddled around her were other children her age, watched by large men and their guns. Despite the numbing cold and the fear that clamoured for her attention, Illyana's mind lingered on a single thought.

_Why?_

She still didn't understand why she was being dragged here. She hadn't done anything wrong. She didn't have any special powers. Yet, just weeks ago, these soldiers had hauled her out of her room along with Mommy and Daddy. She hadn't heard from them since.

_Piotr, where are you?_ He had come after her before, when they had been grabbed by Magneto. Only a year later, after helping them build a new home out in the country, he had gone back to America to join the X men.

"_But why do you have to leave already?" Illyana asked, watching her big brother pack his bags._

_Piotr looked up from his bags. "Already? Has the time passed that quickly?" he grinned._

_Illyana's face didn't change. "But we just finished the house, Piotr! And …" she took a shaky breath "Who's going to look after us with you gone?" She felt ready to cry. Again._

_Piotr, seeing this, put down his large duffel and wrapped his sister in a gentle hug. "Don't cry, Illyana; you might rust my metal, then I would have to wait for you to oil my joints." After holding her for a few seconds, he knelt down to face her. "Did I not tell you why I was going back to the X men."_

_Wiping her eyes, Illyana nodded. "Because they're the good guys, and they keep the bad guys out of our home."_

"_You still are the smart one," he chuckled._

"_I'll still miss you too much," Illyana mumbled._

"_Hey." Cupping her face, Piotr turned his sister's face toward him. "I am not disappearing this time, understand? Remember, I am only a phone call away. You have the number, right?" Illyana nodded. "Then we will stay in touch. And if you ever need my help, I won't be far, little one."_

"_I'm not little."_

"_You look little to me."_

"_You're a giant, Piotr. Everyone looks little." _

Illyana shivered again as the memory ran through her. But the bad guys had come anyway, and Piotr could not help her; he may not know she was in trouble. _That stupid tin man should never have left us!_

"Illyana Rasputin?"

Turning about quickly, she found herself facing a man almost as large as Piotr glaring down at her before he continued.

"You are next."

"Next for what?" she asked, frightened.

"Do not delay," he snapped, grabbing her shoulder.

"Where are you taking me?" she cried, as he dragged her toward the entrance. "Ow! Why are you doing this?" Surprisingly, he stopped to look at her.

"You are younger sister to Piotr Rasputin, correct?"

"What …?"

"You are. Then you know why we must place you in custody. All living relatives of mutants in Russia must surrender themselves." He leaned forward. "Though, if you help us find your brother, it will not hurt as much down there. What do you say, little one?"

Illyana had enough. "I'm not little!" she growled, before firing a kick directly into the soldier's groin.

"Ooof!" the sergeant grunted, bending over from the pain. Not waiting a moment, Illyana swung her small fist into his eye before running away from the doors. She was not going down there.

"Command, one of the mutants is escaping!" the sergeant gasped

His officer's voice came back, colder than the snow around him. "You know what to do."

The sergeant nodded, and spoke into another channel. "Attention, we have an escaping mutant. Measure Omega is in effect." His squad clicked their affirmatives as they loaded their rifles. Measure Omega meant death. For the entire group.

Illyana kept running. She had no plan yet, but she knew she had to get away from those men, get a hold of Piotr …

"Noo!" she screamed as a large body drove her into the snow, holding her there before dragging her to her feet.

"Come," the man ordered her roughly. "You should see this." Marching her back to the building, he pointed at the group of kids being lined up before the armed men. "They are to be terminated for your reckless action; you are to watch before joining them."

"Terminated?" Illyana asked. She had never heard the word, though the knot in her stomach gave her an idea.

Quickly and efficiently arranging the children, the soldiers went about their duties without a second thought. Most of them.

"Merde," Grenedy Filatov, muttered. This was barbaric, beyond anything he'd ever had to do for the people. Unfortunately, he also knew that unless he followed orders, he would be summarily executed for treason. Life was cheap in Russia, and soldiers like him rarely got second chances, unless one knew somebody important.

"Ready, comrades!" his officer called out, still limping slightly. Shaking his head, Filatov raised his rifle and aimed it at the crowd of little ones, who stared back at them without understanding. He closed his eyes, praying for forgiveness. "Fire!" As Filatov squeezed the trigger, the sound of bullets was joined by a slight hum.

"What?" Filatov opened his eyes to see the children standing unscathed behind a blue field.

"Mutants!" screamed the officer, before the blue field expanded, knocking him and the squad to the snow. Rolling over, Filatov raised his rifle, scanning the snowscapes.

He only had a few seconds, however, before his hand, and the rifle it held, was savagely attacked by a large, white tiger. Screaming in pain, Filatov jammed his bloody stump into the snow and closed his eyes, waiting for death.

He did not have to wait long.

Off in the forest, the soldier guarding Illyana was about to join the fight when he found his way blocked by a large, white, furry giant, glaring down at him. Unimpressed, the soldier shuffled back and took aim. He could use another pelt, anyway.

However, his aim was thrown off by a sudden pain in the back of his knee. "Stupid girl!" he growled, forgetting about the beast for a second.

For Ursa Major, the second was all he needed. Roaring his rage, Ursa Major swiped out with one hand, leaving three fresh gashes in the stunned soldier's chest. As the soldier sank into the snow, Ursa turned to see to the girl. Unfortunately, she had slipped away. Sighing, he switched back to his human form and spoke into his com.

"Darkstar. One of the children is fleeing."

After a brief second, his commander coldly responded. "I see her. Take care of the soldiers, I will get the girl."

Illyana ran. For years, despite all the trouble she ended up in, there had always been someone to protect her. Piotr had stopped the tractor from hitting her, Mommy and Daddy had kept the angry people with signs off their farm, even Magneto had kept them safe while he held them …

Now, she was alone. Now, everyone either wanted to hurt her, or they were too busy hurting each other to care. The mauled soldier came to her mind again, stopping her in her tracks.

She took a shuddering breath, only half from the cold. What was with everybody? Had the world just gone bad?

"Miss?" Illyana whipped around, ready to run again.

"Easy, little one." A yellow-haired lady crouched a few feet away. Though her face was as cold and hard as the soldiers that had taken her, she was not hurting anyone at the moment. Taking all this in, Illyana managed to relax slightly.

"I'm not little," was all she could think of.

The ghost of a smirk appeared on the woman's face. "My mistake. I hope I don't get kicked too?" she joked. Despite herself, Illyana found herself starting to trust the lady. A little, anyway.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I am called Darkstar. May I ask your name?"

"Illyana," the child mumbled. Before she could continue, the woman's radio began crackling.

"Darkstar! Message from Holy Grail; attack helicopters have been sent to our location!"

Darkstar's face hardened as she took charge. "Gather the children and retreat to the rendezvous; I will meet you there. Darkstar out." Switching her radio off, she reached a hand out to Illyana. "Come, young one. We have little time."

Illyana hesitated. "Where are you taking me?"

Darkstar sighed inwardly; children could be harder to deal with than parliamentarians sometimes. "Somewhere safe, until we find your families." When Darkstar mentioned finding her family, that settled it for Illyana. Immediately, she marched up and grabbed Darkstar's hand. Giving her hand a squeeze, Darkstar whispered, "This may feel odd." Closing her eyes, she began reaching out to the place she had been able to touch; the dark existence she drew her powers from. Feeling the energy gather within her, she prepared herself for a simple hop.

That was the plan, anyway.

BOOM!

The explosion hit her the very moment she took Illyana into the portal she had created. Hit by the wave of pain, she lost her focus for the merest seconds, then focused her will and guided her body toward the exit she had selected.

Emerging in the currently deserted dune, where she would await her fellow Exiles, Darkstar immediately realized she was missing someone. "Illyana?" she called out, scanning the area. Illyana was nowhere in sight.

**Cerebro Room, Xavier Institute**

Xavier removed the headpiece, his troubled frown deepening. First, a new mutant inside the United States was manifesting his or her powers for the first time. Now, it seemed a group of mutants were fighting somewhere in Siberia. _I've never believed in simple coincidences, yet …_

His thoughts were interrupted by the sense of panic suddenly flaring up a few rooms down. Wincing at the sudden sensation, Xavier rubbed his forehead. _The joys of telepathy._ Focusing his mind, Xavier realized it was Piotr. _I have never sensed him this panicked before. What could cause this? _Xavier began rolling outside to investigate.

--------------------

"Ya sure it was her, Pete?" Rogue asked again, standing with her arms crossed.

"I know what my sister looks like!" growled a still-trapped Piotr. "Release me at once!"

"Not until ya slow down," Rogue said coldly.

"Then I will get myself out!" snarled Piotr, preparing to rip the floorboard.

_STOP IT! ALL OF YOU! IMMEDIATELY!_ Everyone in the room winced, hearing the Professor's voice in their heads. Xavier rarely shouted, but he could make himself heard when he needed to. Immediately, Xavier himself wheeled into the room and began to speak. "What's going on here?" He cast his concerned gaze to Piotr. "Peter? What's wrong?"

The Russian took a couple steadying breaths before responding. "Professor, I …"

"PROFESSOR!" Piotr's explanation was interrupted when Sam literally flew into the institute, taking the front door with him. Xavier sighed as he reached out. _In the rec room, Sam. And please don't destroy anything else._ Thankfully, despite his extremely agitated state, Sam managed to slow down slightly as he veered into the crowded den. Without waiting a second, he blurted out. "Ah gotta go home, sir. Mah sister's in trouble."

--------------------

An hour later, Logan rolled down the institute driveway just in time to see the X-Jet and Velocity taking off, each heading in different directions.

Frowning, Logan carefully parked his bike and headed straight for Xavier's office.

"Hey, Chuck?" he called out as he entered to see Xavier facing the window, his expression unreadable.

"Logan." Startled out of his reverie, Xavier turned away from the window to face Logan.

Crossing his arms, Logan simply stared at Xavier. "Where's everybody headin' off to? There a mission I should know about?"

Xavier shook his head. "Not quite." Pausing to collect his thoughts, he went on. "Cerebro just locked in on a mutant manifesting his or her powers in Kentucky." Logan was about to ask why that required two teams when Xavier raised a finger; he wasn't finished. "Also, before I left, it reported multiple mutants using their powers at a single location in Siberia."

"A fight," Logan finished.

"Yes, right outside the Russian Government's containment facility." Both men knew that, while America was still undecided on how to deal with mutants' existence, the Russian government had not been so shy; apparently, they had already begun quietly rounding up and disappearing mutants well before the ill-fated fight with the Sentinel. "And, finally, Sam and Piotr have both come to me about family emergencies in their homelands."

"In Kentucky and Siberia." The connection wasn't that hard to make. But there was something else to be said … "Hey Chuck. You know we won't be able to send the X-men out every time this happens, right? I mean, we can't be everywhere at once."

Xavier's expression darkened. "I know." Outside extreme circumstances like Apocalypse, the X-men had traditionally kept their missions within Bayville. However, through his Cerebro sessions, Xavier knew well that mutants could be born, and persecuted, anywhere in the world. "For now, the best we can do is try to be an example for the world."

"If the world listens," muttered Logan.

Xavier had no response for that.

**X-Jet, Over Moscow**

"Is it, like, fall over here or something?" a shivering Kitty asked Piotr.

"Nyet. This is what we call summer," Piotr answered, more bothered about his family than the cold.

"But it's, like, freezing," Kitty managed through chattering teeth.

"We are far up north, Katya, and it is still May." Kitty could only mumble to herself, though Piotr did catch something about her 'stupid geography teacher.' Despite his worry for his sister, Piotr couldn't help but smile. It was good to finally see her come out of her shell, especially considering the time she had hid in her room for several days after her last mission. Apparently, according to Rogue, the reason for that was not to be talked about.

Who knew, anyway, what with all the drama that Americans seemed so fond of. He had seen little of that while with the Acolytes. Of course, the Acolytes rarely spoke with one another long enough to create any drama. The X men were much closer to one another.

Seeing Kitty continue to shiver, Piotr removed his jacket. "Come. Take my …", and was interrupted as Kitty leaned into to him, sharing in his warmth. Piotr could only blush; he had meant to offer his jacket.

This did not go unnoticed across the aisle.

"She doesn't waste much time," smirked Bobby. At Kurt's cold look, he continued. "What? C'mon, it's not even cold out here."

"Not all of us are made of ice," responded the blue-furred mutant.

"I don't see you shivering!" pointed out Bobby.

Kurt merely turned away, while the nearby Jubilee gave Bobby a glare and an elbow to the ribs. Since Kurt had returned, Bobby seemed more difficult to deal with than he remembered. Though he had always been a joker and a bit of a rebel, lately he seemed slightly more on edge.

Oblivious to these exchanges, Ororo and Warren sat in the cockpit, focused on the task at hand. For the most part.

"Warren! Don't touch that button!"

Warren's hands flew back. "What is it?" he demanded.

"The ejection trigger for my seat," she answered coldly.

"On my side of the cockpit? Whose idea was that?"

"Take it up with Xavier." Returning her attention to the controls, she added. "For now, just let me handle the plane."

"Fine," he muttered, ruffling his feathers in annoyance. "My wings are easier to manage, anyway."

Ororo shook her head. While she respected Xavier's decision to recruit Warren, the boy's aristocratic manner never ceased to annoy her. Of course, she mused, it had been easy for anyone to get under her skin for the past two years. As her thoughts turned to why, she failed to notice the wind picking up until it buffeted the jet. Quickly, she banished her dark thoughts and focused on the plane.

"How soon do you think you can contact your friend when we're there?" she asked Warren.

"Not long, if he'll listen to me at all," answered Warren. "And, just so we're clear, he's not my friend; he just owes my family a favour."

"That will have to do," stated Ororo. Placing the jet on autopilot, Ororo headed for the passenger area.

"Everyone?" she called. Kitty immediately pulled away from Piotr, both of them blushing furiously. Suppressing a smile, Ororo went on. "We're 10 minutes outside of Moscow's airport. Is we all clear on the plan?"

"You mean the one where we go and try to sweet-talk Ivan into giving up their secret prisoners?" Bobby asked dryly. Under Ororo's hard stare, he quickly added "Uh, yeah, we're clear."

"Just remember, we're not here to start a fight."

As the team fell silent, preparing for their landing, another team hiding on the surface watched their descent with suspicious eyes. Their commander, Uzkhov, came to a decision.

"Inform headquarters. There may be a problem."

**Velocity, Over Kentucky**

"We there yet?" Sam asked, almost ready to fly out of his seat.

Hank sighed and answered. "Only 60 seconds closer since the last time you asked."

"But …" Sam began.

"I know," Hank cut in, "I'm going as fast as I can."

Sam just sighed in frustration and headed for the back of the plane.

"Just don't put a hole in the hull, and we'll be there in no time!" Hank called. He sighed; Sam wasn't usually this edgy; even after becoming team leader, the playful, 'aw-shucks' persona hadn't left him. Then again, who was cheerful during family emergencies?

In back, Sam slumped into a chair. After hearing Xavier's news about the new mutant in Kentucky, his spirits had dropped another foot. Since the original x men had left and he'd taken over the team, he'd seen his fair share of what people still did to mutants once they showed their faces. And now that his sister might be a mutant …

"Sam? You okay?"

Looking up, Sam noticed that Scott had entered the room, and was now looking concernedly at him.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Sam quickly answered.

"It certainly shows," quipped a new voice. Ignoring the dirty looks from Rogue and Amara, Tabitha strolled in and sat near Sam. "By the way, you are a lousy liar Guthrie."

"Tabitha!" snapped Amara.

"What?"

Shaking her head at the scene, Rogue walked over and sat next to Tabitha. "Don't mind Tabbs, but she's right; you look ready to jet right through the window."

"I'm just worried about my sister, okay?!" Sam snapped, trying to unclench his hands. After a few seconds of silence, he sighed and went on. "I still haven't figured out how tell them …" The others nodded knowingly. Looking around, Sam managed a half-smile. "I guess I outta thank y'all for comin' …"

"We're a team, Sam, remember?" Scott smiled. Amara simply smiled and squeezed Sam's shoulder, earning an evil eye from Tabitha.

Rogue just shook her head at the two. _Grow up, girls._

**Kruschev Hangar, Moscow, Morning**

Barely audible above the cold hangar winds, the X Jet smoothly descended on its final approach to its designated landing point.

Its reception, however, went less smoothly.

"What's with all the tanks?" Jubilee wondered, staring out the cockpit window.

"Beats me," answered Kurt. "Though my fazher often said the Russians like to put on a show … until the equipment breaks down."

"Then they lock away all the witnesses," Warren put in, joining the group in the back. "I don't like this; they're already lining the military against us. We should split."

"NO!" Warren nearly flew out of the plane upon hearing the Russian's voice. Calming slightly, Piotr continued "I will not leave unless my family is with me."

"And I'm not taking the team into a fight for a family emergency!"

"That is not your decision!" Piotr growled, calling on his metal form.

"Warren! Piotr!" The two mutants stopped as Ororo cut in. Fixing her cold stare on each of them, Ororo continued. "For the last time: none of us are either leaving, or starting a fight. Is that clear?" Once they finally sat down, she continued. "They've known we were coming for some time; they're probably just overreacting."

---------------------------------

"I repeat: we are simply here seeking asylum for one of our teammates' family."

"Then why you come in armed craft?"

"I'm sorry, there was no way around that …"

"And I hardly need mention the fact that you all come bearing dangerous weapons that, apparently, we cannot confiscate!"

"We cannot simply lay down our powers!"

"And I cannot ignore my duties …" the short commander was interrupted by his radio. After listening to the voice on the other end, the commander turned to Ororo and stated "Very well: you have been cleared to go about your business."

Surprised, Ororo could only manage "Thank you."

"Just do what you're here for, and be quick about it." He turned and waved to his men, who immediately began emerging from the shadows and packing up their gear. Watching the force begin its sudden withdrawal, Ororo decided she had to at least ask. "Why the change?"

"Not my place to say!" he called over his shoulder.

"He probably doesn't know," Piotr grimly put in. As Ororo turned to look at him, he continued. "These men rarely know why they are given such orders."

Giving him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder, Ororo waved him after her. "Come. Let's go find your family."

As they headed to Moscow to begin their mission, other teams waited in the shadows to carry out theirs.

Uzkhov, assigned to tracking the X men, turned to his radio.

"They are heading to Moscow, and it appears they wish to release a team member's family."

The radio crackled as his controller mulled over the information. Finally, he responded. "Keep tracking them until they are in the city; the people should see what they are capable of."

"What about my previous orders?"

"Your mission has not changed; however, the X men may be necessary to draw the targets out."

Uzkhov grinned; he loved hunting dangerous prey.

These orders did not go unnoticed. A waiter in a nearby restaurant carried out his orders without the slightest slip, then went on a bathroom break to report the radio transmissions he had just sensed.

"This is Holy Grail. New players have arrived, and our enemies are already after them."

"What new players?" questioned his contact.

"The X men."

**Guthrie Ranch, Kentucky, Evening**

On the other side of the world, the other team's arrival was also watched by the locals, though these had no plans for them; for the moment, at least.

"What's that?" one whispered.

"Them alien's are finally here!" murmured another.

"C'mon, man; ain't that the jet from that Bayville bunch?"

The flying rumours were lost on the team as they landed in the field behind the Guthrie ranch and filed off the plane.

"Ma? Pa?" Sam called out as he rushed toward the house. Within seconds, his mother was on the porch, relief and dread fighting to control her face.

"Sam!" she cried out as she grabbed the tall teenager and buried her face in his chest. "Ah been worried sick, ya rascal," she mumbled.

Pulling away slightly, Sam quickly asked. "How's Paige?"

Ellen's face fell. "She's … a bit better. I gave her some soup, she's sleeping now… Did ya find a doctor?" she added, looking past Sam at the strange group approaching.

"Yeah, uh, Ma, this is Dr Henry McCoy."

"A pleasure, Mrs. Guthrie," Hank greeted as he extended his furry hand to Ellen, who stared at it as though it were a viper.

"An' these are my other teammates Scott, Tabitha, Amara, and Rogue," Sam quickly continued, trying to ease his mother.

Though she still looked uneasy, Ellen quickly regained her composure. "Ah'm sorry; we just haven't been around mutants for a while. Uh, anyone hungry?" she asked as she led the way inside.

"Thank you, but I would like to see to Paige immediately, while she's sleeping."

"Oh, yes, of course, sh-she's upstairs with Edward. Ah-Ah'll be right back."

As she led Hank upstairs, she immediately asked "Can you help her?"

Not sure how she would take the answer on his mind, Hank decided to ask his own question. "Can you tell me how long she's been in pain?"

"Uh, she started complainin' about stomach cramps this mornin'; Ah didn't think much of it at the time, now she's sayin' it hurts all over and I got no idea what to do; maybe I…"

"Mrs Guthrie." He had to try and calm her before she broke completely. "You're doing the best you possibly can; sometimes stomach cramps are just stomach cramps."

She managed the slightest of smiles before she came to her next question. "D'you you know what's wrong with her?"

This he couldn't lie about. Sighing, Hank considered his best answer. "I have an idea, but I need a blood sample to be sure."

"While she's sleeping?"

"No better time." Smiling, Hank continued toward Paige's bedroom, followed by Sam.

Downstairs, the rest of the team gathered in the living room, soon to be joined by Ellen.

"Ah'm so sorry to leave y'all hangin'; would any o' ya like something t'drink?"

"Got any rum?" Tabitha blurted out, before receiving an elbow and a glare from Rogue.

"Don' listen to this one, Mrs. Guthrie; we just can't housetrain her."

"Well, Ah think Ah have some lemonade in the freezer …"

"That will be fine," Scott answered, giving Tabitha his best 'be quiet' glare.

"Pa?" Edward head snapped up. Confronted by the familiar and unfamiliar face before him, Edward could not settle upon an expression.

"Sam!" A surprised Sam found himself wrapped tightly in his father's arms; a rare gesture from Edward. Pulling away, Edward took another look at Hank. "Who, or what, is this?"

"Pa!" Sam smacked him on the back of his head. For all they had taught him about tolerance and civility, his parents were still acting jumpy around other mutants.

"It's all right, Sam." Hank assured him, stepping in with his hand extended. "Dr. Henry McCoy, Xavier Institute." After the slightest hesitation, Edward took the furry hand and shook it.

"Sorry, Doctor; we're all a bit worked up."

"I can imagine; after Sam got the news, I'm afraid he destroyed our front door," Hank chuckled, earning a strained laugh from Edward.

"Someday, Ah oughta tell ye what happened to the chicken coop."

"I'll settle for meeting the illustrious Paige." Silence fell over the group as they turned their attention to the small form sleeping fitfully. Immediately, Hank opened his kit and went to work checking Paige's vitals. "She seems healthy," he commented as he began to prepare for the next step. "I will need a tiny blood sample from her."

Edward nodded absently. "She's becoming a mutant, isn't she?"

Neither of them asked how Edward knew that; he had experienced Sam's first manifestation. Sighing, Hank decided the man deserved an honest answer.

"I need to test the blood to be sure, but … yes, we think so."

Edward face could not ashen any further, as he turned away muttering to himself. "Oh, Lord, why do you punish us so …?"

"Punish?!" Edward looked up to see Sam more angry than usual. "That what we are now, Pa? Punishments?"

"Hell, no, boy! It's you an' Paige bein' punished far's I can see!"

"That ain't fair, Pa!"

"What d'ya expect?" Both Guthries had darkened considerably. "My son's been conscripted by Xavier's mutant army…"

"Ah volunteered, Pa!", but Edward wasn't finished.

"My little girl's bein' tortured by 'er own body, and Ah don't know if you noticed, but our hometown's been givin' us the boot since they found out about ya!"

Sam had never seen his father attack him this way. Though this was a day of firsts; Sam could not remember wanting to blast his father himself. Instead, he crossed his arms and gave Edward a cold glare.

"So why you pointing the finger at me and Xavier?"

Edward's face fell. "Sam …" he tried, but the boy was already marching downstairs. Edward began to follow him, but found a furry paw on his arm.

"You might want to let him cool off first," Hank suggested. Samuel simply yanked his arm away.

"Ah didn't ask you, furball," he growled as he stalked outside. Hank simply sighed and turned to Paige. The little girl had remained in her fitful sleep.

"I hope this isn't what they're teaching _you_, at least," he muttered as he returned to sterilizing the small needle. As he gently pricked her tiny finger, Paige's eyelids began to flutter open. As the world came into focus, she finally noticed who was in the room with her.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH! MAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!"

**State Centre, Moscow**

"I'm sorry, that is not my decision."

"Then whose decision is it?"

"I'm afraid I cannot say."

"Look," continued a frustrated Ororo. "We are not after any of your secrets; we simply wish to take the Rasputins off your hands and into our custody. Piotr Rasputin is an American citizen now, and he has the right to request asylum for his family members!"

They had been at it for over an hour, with little to show for it. The Russian bureaucracy seemed singularly unwilling to help them in any way. The Rasputins might as well have vanished for all the information they could get on them. It made her itch to trigger a lightning storm right there in the office.

Another frustrating hour later, Ororo and Piotr stalked outside to rejoin the others.

"Any luck?" Kurt asked softly.

"More of the same," growled Piotr.

"I still don't see why we can't just bust them out," put in Bobby.

"Because we did not come here to go to war with the Russian military" answered Ororo, glaring at Bobby.

"What if Angel's friend doesn't come through?" Bobby asked. "We pack up and leave?" he continued, throwing a glance at Piotr.

Piotr clenched his fists, ready to take a swing at Bobby, when Ororo laid a hand on his arm.

"No. We will find another way."

"Oh, geez," groaned Bobby to Jubilee. "We might as well start apartment-hunting."

Jubilee simply glowered back. "Bobby, will you chill sometime today?"

"Are you kidding?" Jubilee just shook her head and walked over to Kurt and Kitty. Another cold shoulder. He'd been getting a lot of those, lately. He thought about apologizing to Jubilee, then shrugged it off. Not his style.

While the team discussed their next moves, another team a block away prepared for theirs.

Uzkhov gave his man a clap on the shoulder. "Now." Aiming carefully, the soldier fired.

Nonchalant as always, Bobby had just wandered into the middle of the road when a deafening crunch of metal suddenly drew his attention.

"BOBBY!!!" screamed Jubilee as several colliding cars careened directly towards the young X man. Bobby desperately threw up an ice barrier, knowing it was too little, too late.

Surprisingly, the impact was less painful than he thought; in fact, he felt almost nothing at all. Opening his eyes, he realized Kitty and Kurt were clutching his ankles. "Uhh, thanks guys," he managed, still shocked and slightly embarrassed.

"Don't mention it" answered Kurt as he hopped to his feet. "Just keep your eyes …" another metal crunch, even louder than before, interrupted Kurt's admonition. Turning about, they noticed the source. "_Mien gott_."

Several cars were piled up on the sidewalk, effectively sealing off the local library. As the x men watched, a fire began to gather on one of them.

Across the street, Uzkhov picked up his radio. "The bait is in place," he reported, thinking about how easy it had been to trigger that crash.

--------------------

Elsewhere, another X man had finally gotten a hold of his contact over lunch at the nearest steakhouse.

"I must say, it is a … surprise to see you here yourself, Warren," Ollnyaks, one of the richest industrialists in Russia, stated as he poured himself a drink. "I did not think you involved yourself in your parents' business."

"I don't," Warren responded, biting the urge to tell the man what he really thought of their 'business'. "This concerns my current team."

"You mean the X men?" Ollnyaks chuckled.

Warren had no reply; he had joined the X men after Apocalypse partly because he got on well with the mutants, but also largely to try and get a break from his parents' pressure. _And now here I am dipping into the family business to help the team. Guess you can't ever get away completely._

Ollnyaks continued. "You always did aspire to the superhero life. Why, I remember you as a toddler, when you insisted upon 'saving' every soul in the room. How is that life working for you now?" he smirked.

"It has its ups and downs," Warren smartly responded, crossing his arms. "Look, you know what I'm asking for already, so what's your answer?"

"Ahh yes. You wish me to use my … influence to help find and release your teammate's family from state custody."

"No. We're offering to take a few prisoners off your hands and into ours. From what I understand, they don't know much anyway." Warren leaned forward, remembering the negotiation techniques his parents had drilled into him. Make sure the deal is in your subject's interest, as far as he knows at least. "It's nothing drastic, _and_ it will let you clear the debt you have with my parents."

Ollnyaks slowly turned around. "_Da_, that is a tempting opportunity." He raised his glass in a salute to Warren. "You bargain well, prodigal son."

**Kentucky, Afternoon**

"I'm sorry fer screamin, Mr …"

"McCoy, though you can call me Beast."

"Are you the cursed prince from the movie?" Paige asked, craning her head?

Hank chuckled as he took the thermometer from her. "No, I'm still single."

After the first awkward encounter, Paige had warmed surprisingly quickly to the furry mutant, even to the point of reaching out to find out if his fur was real.

"And what's this young … specimen's name?" Hank asked, pointing to the rock Paige still clutched.

"It's an … igneous rock." Paige told him proudly.

"My, you know your rocks. I should have had you tutor your brother."

"She knows more 'bout rocks than Amara," came a voice at the door, lighting up Paige's face.

"Sam!" Hank took a step aside allowing Sam to enter and grab his sister in a hug. Pulling back, she gave him a funny look. "Are you mad, Sam?"

"Who, me?" Sam halfheartedly chuckled.

"Yeah, you."

Sam just shook his head. _Nothing gets past this girl_.

"Nah, just havin' a rough day," he half-lied.

"Did ye have to save the world again today?" she asked seriously.

Struggling not to laugh, Sam shook his head. "Nah, the bad guys took the day off, so we did too."

Having finished his examination, Hank left the siblings to chat and quietly sauntered outside to check on his blood test.

"How is she," asked a concerned Ellen asked.

"A charming young lady, for one. And at the moment, she seems to be comfortable."

"Hey Mr. McCoy," Amara called out, running up. "Your blood test just finished."

"Thank you, Amara," Hank answered as he began studying the slip of paper.

Even Ellen noticed his face fall. "What is it?" she asked, fighting the urge to panic.

Hank looked up at her. "It's better I tell both of you."

--------------------

While those at the Guthrie house sought to come to grips with their turmoil, another sought to escape it. Besides, it had been a while since she'd been down south, anyway.

"Hey there" she called out as she entered a small café.

The owner, a large lady about the Professor's age, looked up. "Afternoon, child. What can I get ye?"

"I dunno, lemonade I guess." She sat down as the owner brought her drink over.

"I don't think I've seen you here before. You from around here?" the owner inquired, looking her over.

"Nah, Mississippi," Rogue answered. "And you can call me Rogue."

"Dat's a nice name, and you can call me Rochelle." She went back to her account book.

Rogue took a moment to glance around the shop. Besides the usual assortment of tables and chairs, almost every available space was taken up by flowers, bushes, and just about every type of plant she could think of.

"Where'd ya get all the plants:" Rogue asked.

"Ah grew 'em," Rochelle answered as she closed her book. "My customers call it a hobby that went clean outta control."

"Musta taken ya a long time," Rogue observed.

Rochelle shrugged. "All ya need is a few seeds, and a lot o' patience; th'end is usually worth it all."

Rogue simply sipped her drink as she studied the plants. She couldn't remember a time when she ever _touched _a plant. Then she realized how long she'd sat silently. Fortunately, in addition to her plants, Rochelle was also known for being the chattiest lady in town.

"So what you doing here in Kentucky?" she asked. As Rogue hesitated, Rochelle looked up, a sheepish grin on her face. "Oh, there I go, being nosy again."

"It's all right." Rogue smiled. "Me and my … friends, we came down here to look in on one of teammates sisters. She's … sick."

"Ohh, I pray she pull through," Rochelle said solemnly. After a moment of silence, she perked up. "Say, your face is familiar; would I've seen you anywhere?"

"I've never been to Kentucky," Rogue answered, wondering if she'd have to make a quick exit.

"No, but still… wait, you're one of them kids with Xavier's school, ain't ya?"

Rogue's face hardened. "Yeah. So?" she asked coldly.

"Oh, no, no, I don't mean that, child. Everyone's welcome at Rochelle's s'long as they pay they bills and cause no trouble." She shook her head.

Rogue finally relaxed. "That's nice to hear."

"Oh, think nothin' of it. I just remembered your face from the news, when they was huntin ye down."

"I never liked those photos." Rogue grumbled. "They made me look fat."

Rochelle laughed. "You hardly look it from here, child. Oh, just to be nosy again, what are you up to for the afternoon?"

"Just takin a walk," Rogue answered. "I haven't been down south in a few years. In fact, the last time…" she paused as she realized where she was going.

"What happened?" Rochelle asked, leaning in. She sensed a hell of a story was starting.

"Nothin'" Rogue shook her head.

"Don't look like nothin'," Rochelle answered, staring inquisitively.

_Oh, hell, why not. _"Some sneak-thief kidnapped me and dragged me down to New Orleans during Mardi Gras."

Rochelle laughed loudly. "Oh my, sounds like that boy sounds like trouble."

"You have no idea." Rogue grinned.

"No, but the drink's on the house if you stay long enough to change that."

Rogue shrugged. "Eh, why not?"

-------------------

"So she is a mutant." Edward stated, looking at his feet and clutching Ellen's hand.

"I'm afraid so." Hank nodded grimly.

"But I don't understand!" Ellen cried. "Sam's power didn't show up until he was a teenager, and it didn't cause this kinda pain and …" she couldn't continue.

"Mutant powers come in all forms; I suspect Paige's has something to do with shifting her entire body structure, if she's feeling pain in her entire body."

"Can't ye do something?" Edward asked. "Like, slow it down or something?"

"Mr. Guthrie …" Hank began to warn, but Edward wasn't finished.

"Dammit, can't you try and treat her?"

"She doesn't have a _disease_, Mr Guthrie," Hank snapped, his voice beginning to harden. "Her body is evolving naturally; all we can do is let the mutation run its course!"

"Her own body's torturing her right now? And you wanna let it 'run its course?!' What kinda doctor are ye?!" Edward shouted.

Hank could only growl in response, driving the Guthries back.

"Hank!" Scott called as he entered the room, hand on his glasses. Hearing Scott, Hank managed to calm himself and walk outside. Looking at the couple, he asked "Are you two all right?"

"No, not in the slightest! Your joke of a doctor is saying he can't treat our daughter!" Edward answered angrily. "She's in pain, and he won't do nothin'!"

Outside, Hank decided he couldn't listen anymore, and hopped toward the Velocity.

"Mr McCoy?" Amara asked curiously as he hopped past her. Looking back at the house, she noticed Scott and Tabitha sneaking out. "What's goin' on?

Scott shrugged sheepishly. "Hank and Sam's parents got into a fight."

"Didn't you hear him roar?" Tabitha asked. Concerned, Amara looked toward the aircraft, only to find that Hank had locked himself in.

**Moscow, Russia**

Within moments, Ororo sprang into action. "Iceman! Try and slow the fires down!"

"You got it!" replied Bobby as he rode his ice slide toward the fires.

"The rest of you, get the people out of there!" Ororo continued as she took to the air.

As the others arrived, Bobby was already hard at work attempting to cool the engines. "I can't do this forever!" he shouted, already sweating despite the cold.

Kurt was already gone by the time Kitty and Piotr each picked a car. Peering inside, Kitty reached her hand out. "Come on, I'm getting you out of here." No one moved except to gape at the sight. Rolling her eyes, Kitty continued "Like, come on! It doesn't hurt at all." Soon, the teenagers decided they would rather risk becoming ghosts than get blown up, and grabbed Kitty's arm, allowing her to drag them through the doors and onto the street.

Meanwhile, Piotr was busy pulling the roof off another car and hauling the couple out. As he turned to work on the third, Kurt appeared nearby with a family in tow. "Quick, run!" he told them. They were only too happy to oblige.

"Uhhh," Bobby groaned as he sank to his knees. Going directly against fires took it out of him. He could barely notice the growing heat beside him.

"Hey!" Jubilee called out before running over. "No time to nap, Ice" she grunted as she started dragging him away from the flames. "Kurt, you busy?" she called out.

In a moment, no one was busy.

"Ahhh!" Jubilee cried out as the latest explosion propelled her and Bobby back onto the road.

"Uhh, I'm not getting up," mumbled Bobby after he landed. Shaking his head, he risked a look around.

"Jubes!" His friend was not stirring. Scrambling over, Bobby began shaking her. "C'mon, Jubes, wake up! I swear I won't be a jerk again, just wake up. Jubes, this isn't funny anymore!"

"Hey, quit it," she mumbled, pushing at him. Relieved to see her snapping at him, Bobby did a very un-Bobby-like thing and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Uh, yeah, nice to see you too," stammered a surprised Jubilee. Letting go, Bobby tried to pull himself to his feet, only to slip as it started to rain.

"Man, so _now_ she gets the rain going."

"Rain doesn't come easy up north, Bobby," her voice chided as she set down behind them. Leaning on each other for support, both X men dragged themselves to their feet. "Come," Ororo continued, addressing the whole team. "We must get back to the Blackbird and inform the authorities."

"Uhhh, I think zhey already know," stammered Kurt.

Sure enough, troops and tanks were already filing into the streets, closing in on the team from both sides.

"Mutants!" one of them called out. "You are under arrest."

"What for?" Ororo challenged.

"Surrender yourself, and you will find out!" he sneered. As he signalled his troops, several dozen rifles were trained on the X men.

Ororo could only sigh. _Why can't these missions ever stay peaceful?_

--------------------

"So what's your answer?" Warren asked, growing tired of the bush-beating.

All cheerfulness abruptly left Ollnyaks' face. "I'm afraid I have a conflict of interest on that matter, young Worthington."

Warren did not have a chance to ask what he meant before several armed men rushed into the room, flanking Warren with raised weapons.

Shocked, Warren could only stare at an indifferent-looking Ollnyaks. "Why…?" he asked softly.

Amused, Ollnyaks started to speak. "You see, Worthington, I happen to see the need for certain … measures regarding the mutant problem." He gestured toward the armed men. "When a mutant, and an X man no less, came knocking on my door, I had little choice, but to inform Moscow."

"And collect your reward," finished Warren.

Ollnyaks shrugged. "My country has changed in the past decade, but not that much."

The two men nearest Warren tapped him with their rifles. "Hands in the air."

"Oh, sure. Whatever you say," Warren replied coolly as he stood up and put his hands over his head. "Where do you want my wings?"

"Your wings?" asked a confused soldier.

Seconds later, that soldier found himself being knocked to the ground as Warren unfurled his wings and swung them about. Though soft to the touch, they were still unyielding weapons at close quarters. Quickly, he flipped the table toward Ollnyaks and his soldiers, remembering Logan's lesson: use what comes to hand.

"Hey, I asked," Warren quipped as he took to the air, swooping over the heads of the startled soldiers. Grabbing hold of a chair, he swung with all his strength at his only exit.

"No!" screamed Ollnyaks. "Not the…"

Window, which now lay largely on parts of the floor. Seeing this, one of the fallen soldiers grabbed his radio. "He's outside; take him."

Outside, Warren was making a beeline for Ororo's position when a large, black helicopter blocked his path. "You've got to be kidding," he grumbled as he dove to avoid the machine. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his back, followed by a numbness spreading throughout his body. "Oh, no" he thought as he drowsily watched the ground rush towards him.

------------------

"We have done nothing except try and save your citizens! What do you want with us?" Ororo challenged.

"For the sake of public safety, all mutants who use their powers on Russian soil are to be detained. This is your final warning!" the officer called out.

Ororo looked over at her team members. "We have to turn ourselves in and explain ourselves."

"No!" Piotr insisted, still holding his metal form. "This is not America, Storm; if they take us, we will not be seen again."

"I'm sorry, Piotr, but it is the only way to avoid a war with the military." Turning back to the commander, she began to raise her hands.

"Don't, Storm!" Piotr called out.

"Maybe she's right." Kurt said softly.

"No, she doesn't understand." Piotr looked at Ororo. "They barely look out for their human citizens, let alone mutants."

"General." Ororo called out. "On behalf of my team, I … AAAAHHHH"

Ororo had barely begun speaking when a bullet slammed into her shoulder, knocking her to the ground.

"Storm!" Kitty called out, as the rest of the soldiers joined in.

"Look out, Katya!" Piotr called as he grabbed Kitty and swung her behind him as bullets started to hammer his metal back.

In the other direction, the rest of the group began firing as well.

"Leave us alone!" Jubilee shouted as she triggered her brightest pattern directly in front of the troops. As they rubbed their eyes, she gave Bobby a shove. "C'mon, Ice, we need some cover."

"You're lucky it's cold out here," Bobby muttered as he called up his strength and began forming a wall of ice.

"Quick, the other way, too," Jubilee told him as she ran to help Ororo. Groaning with the strain, Bobby quickly created another wall, effectively trapping them in the street. By the time he was finished, Kurt had already ported in with Ororo.

"Ve don't have much time; she's going into shock!" he told them frantically.

"Can you port us back to the Blackbird?" Piotr asked.

"Ja, I think so. But I can only take a couple at a time."

"Then take Storm first," Piotr began he noticed the ice wall beginning to melt. "Iceman!"

Following Piotr's gaze, Iceman groaned. "Come on, flamethrowers?" he complained as the walls broke down, followed by another hail of bullets. _We're so dead._

**Kentucky**

Inside the Velocity, Hank paced the deck, lost in thought.

_You won't help her?!_

_There's an animal inside me … a beast trying to claw its way out._

_Her own body's torturing her!_

_I've been taking a serum_ …

Hank's head shot up at the thought. _Maybe …_ He quickly began to dig through his medical kit, searching for the sample he had kept for years. As he found it, a voice entered the Blackbird.

"Hank? You in there?" Scott called out.

Hank sighed and unlocked the door. As Scott entered, Hank quickly asked "How is everybody?"

Scott shrugged. "Okay. Amara and Tabitha are with the Guthries, and Rogue's gone out for a walk around the town." Finally, he noticed the vial in Hank's hand. "What's that?" he asked curiously.

Hank took a deep breath before answering. "It's a sample of the serum I used to slow down my own mutation."

"You kept it?" Scott asked, surprised. Hank had been suppressing his own mutation for years before it overwhelmed him; apparently, his serum had stopped working when he transformed into the Beast.

Hank shrugged. "I didn't want to lose the research for good." He looked at the serum as he continued, his voice quieting, "Besides, I thought it … might be useful … someday."

Though it didn't show, Scott's eyes widened as caught on. "Hank, please tell me your not thinking of using that on Paige." Hank's silence made the answer painfully clear. "You're not serious?" Scott asked, knowing where this was leading. "Come on, Hank. In the first place, it was designed for you; how do you know it will work on Paige?"

"It was designed to target the X-gene and slow its effect on the body; in theory, it should work on any mutant, for some time at least." Hank stated matter-of-factly.

"Hank, no." Scott shook his head. "This is wrong. You remember what happened with you; all this will do is delay her mutation and make her manifestation even worse!" Hank was silent, so Scott continued. "Don't let her parents get to you; they're just afraid like anyone else! It doesn't mean you have to go this far!" Hank would only look at the serum. "Hank, please listen …"

"I am listening, Scott." Hank snapped. "But I have a patient whose body is being ripped apart by her own mutation. I have to consider all alternatives."

"Ripped apart? But nobody's ever been killed by their own mutation!"

"Are you sure about that?" Hank challenged, staring directly at Scott. "I used to study evolution, Scott. Do you know how many species I've seen that died from their own mutation? Isn't that why we fought to stop Apocalypse's plan?"

"That's different, Hank." Scott argued, though he sounded a little less sure. "He was trying to force it on everyone."

"Perhaps." Hank replied. "Or maybe this is simply a danger we've refused to face."

Exasperated, Scott threw up his hands. "Look, she's your patient, so I can't tell you what to do. But I'm telling you; this serum will only make things worse! Can you promise me you won't use it?"

Hank looked up. "I'm thinking. That's all I can promise." Hank then turned away, signalling the end of the conversation.

Scott sighed and turned to leave the aircraft.

Hank looked back at his serum. _Another oscillation between the sharp horns of dilemmas._

--------------------

Another was quick to present itself in town.

"So where …" Rochelle began, before noticing the boys outside. "Oh, dear. Child, maybe you better hide in back."

"Why?" Rogue asked, just before the boys stepped inside.

"Noon, Rochelle!" one of them called.

"Noon, boys." Rochelle called out, putting on a friendly face. "What can I get ya?"

"Just our usual, Rochelle," the other boy answered as they looked around, spotting Rogue. "I hope this is your new waitress," he laughed.

"She's off limits, James, understand?" Rochelle told him, wagging her pen at him.

"Oh, come now, Rochelle, let the gentlemen have some fun!" the other boy laughed, as he leaned toward Rogue. "I hope you're not workin' yet."

"Sorry boys. Other plans," she growled as she pushed back from the table, careful to keep her distance.

"Aww, come on now …" James said as he reached for her face.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!!!" she shouted as she pushed him away.

"Boys! That's enough!" Rochelle shouted, to no avail.

Rogue dropped a five-dollar bill on the table. "Keep the change, nice talkin' to ya," she quickly told Rochelle as she hurried outside. Seeing the boys follow her, Rochelle picked up her phone.

"Hey, Sheriff? Yer boys are makin' trouble again."

"Hey, wait!" James shouted as he followed Rogue outside. "I just wanted to say you look familiar. Have we met?"

"I hope not!" growled Rogue.

"Hey, that's the girl from the news. One of the mutant freaks!"

"You sure, Kenny?"

"Yeah, positive."

"So tell me: what you doing in our town, mutie?"

"Not to see the local boys, fer sure." Rogue muttered as she stalked away.

"Hey!" Rogue suddenly found herself pushed against the nearest wall. "You really outta show more respect, lil mutie."

"Let go!" she grunted.

"Maybe later," James grinned as he leaned in. That was too much.

James never saw the blows coming. After a quick fore-knuckle jab to his throat, Rogue's knee connected with his groin. As she pushed the groaning James away, she noticed Kenny coming toward her, swinging his fist at her head. Ducking the blow, Rogue fired a short jab into his kidney and kicked his legs out from under him.

Looking down at the groaning boys, Rogue snapped "You shoulda left well alone. Jerks."

"What's going on here?" Rogue turned to see a large man approaching her. "What the hell did you do to my boys?"

"Taught 'em a lesson, sir," Rogue spat out, too mad to care how he'd react. She began walking away.

"Now hold it right there …" he shouted as he reached out to grab her face.

"AAAGGGHHHH!" Both were screaming now, as his energies and memories flowed into Rogue. Quickly, she gave him a desperate push, breaking the contact.

Breathing shakily, Rogue looked at the man, who lay moaning. "I … I'm sorry …" she gasped.

"My lord!" she heard. Looking down the street, she realized the nearby shopkeepers had seen her. Now, a crowd had formed and started making its way down the street. "What the hell are you?" one of them asked.

"It's one o' the mutants!"

"Look what she did!"

"Stay away from her!"

"What're you doin' in our town?!"

"Hey boys!" she heard Kenny call out. Looking behind her, she realized James and Kenny's friends had arrived. "Let's get her!"

Rogue had no smart remarks for something like this. All she could do was run.

--------------------

In Bayville, Xavier sat in his den, his mind on what his students were facing.

--------------------

In Moscow, Kitty, Piotr, Ororo, Kurt, Bobby, and Jubilee huddled as Bobby's ice wall fell and the soldiers reloaded their weapons.

--------------------

In Kentucky, Beast sat staring at his serum while, a few floors up, Sam and his family hovered over Paige, who was going through another spasm.

--------------------

In Moscow, Warren lay unconscious as the soldiers drove towards their temporary base.

--------------------

In Kentucky, Rogue dodged rocks and sticks as she ran for the Guthrie house. Behind her, the crowd had grown in both size and anger.

**To Be Continued. **

**Coming Up on X Men Evolution**

"_Where does it hurt, Paige?" whispered a horrified Edward._

"_Everywhere …" she groaned, clenching her small fists._

"_So yer sayin' yer not even sure this thing'll work?" asked Edward, staring at the vial._

"_It might give her time to prepare. Or it might make it worse later on," Hank replied._

"_We are mutants who have banded together to fight against the bigotry that has swept our nation." Garnoff stated._

"_All normal humans with any links to known mutants, genetic or otherwise, were taken either to the labour camp near St. Petersburg or the state prison in Moscow."_

"_We intend to liberate that prison. And we would like you to help."_

_Rogue found herself shielding her face from rocks, sticks, and whatever else flew her way. _

"_What do you want from me?" Warren demanded._

"_The location of the X men."_

_Uzkhov, his eyes on the gathered mutants, gave a simple order. "Go."_

_No one noticed the dark presence turning its attention towards the battle._

"_Why are you here?" Xavier asked._

_The statesman's voice softened. "I'm afraid I have some bad news, Professor. About your team in Russia."_

**Author's Note**

Hello again, dear readers. Sorry about the delay; I had some computer trouble and had to wait the weekend until it was fixed. Anyway, there you have it; my first two-part story (though not my last, I fear.) As usual, all thoughts and criticisms are more than welcome, and I promise you should have the conclusion of "_You Can't Go Home Again_" next week.


	4. You Can't Go Home Again 2

It's been said that man no more knows his own fate, his own reality, than the fish on the end of the hook, the mouse within the man made maze, the ant facing a rainstorm.

Not that philosophy was on this one's mind while he was dragged through hallways he did not recognize, towards the moans and whispers of his soon-to-be neighbours within their small, enclosed rooms. Indeed, when not trying to steel himself against the blows of his escort, his mind was focused on a single recurring question.

"Why …?" gasped the prisoner. It was all he could manage.

His guard gave him a shove. "Just keep moving."

"I … don't understand…"

"It is not your place to," the guard snapped. In a lower tone of voice, he added, "Nor is it mine."

Indeed, the guard knew little more than the prisoner. When the prisoner had been arrived, the guard had only been told to find a place for him; he had been told nothing on what the prisoner was suspected of or charged with.

The prisoner knew little more; since the uniformed men had arrived at his home, tossed him and his family into separate cars, and dragged into this hellhole, he had been told even less than the guard._ Where am I? Where is …?_

The prisoner's head lifted slightly as something dawned on him

"Is it … because of … my son?" the man asked weakly.

Despite himself, the guard's curiosity was piqued. "Your son?"

"Piotr." The prisoner smiled slightly for a second. "I heard that anyone remotely related to mutants are disappearing."

"You should not speak of such things," the guard told him gruffly, though it was a disturbing thought for him.

"Comrade!" another guard called out. "Stop fraternizing with the prisoner before the officers find out!"

Pushing his dark thoughts to the back of his mind, the guard roughly pulled the prisoner with him toward the cell. They had only taken a few steps, however, when the room was flooded by dark light.

Shoving the prisoner to the floor, the guard drew his firearm, only to see a large, dark sword swinging his way. _What the …?_

Nikolai Rasputin looked up from the floor only to see the guard, or rather his upper half, fall to the ground, followed by his legs. Horrified at the sight, Nikolai began crawling backwards. By now, the prison was full of screams.

Of the attacker, Nikolai could hear or see nothing until he was grabbed and hauled roughly into the air. "What do you want?" he asked desperately.

Surprisingly, the grip lessened. "No," an unfamiliar voice whispered. "It can't be."

[

**Xavier Institute: Bayville, New York**

"Any word yet, Chuck?" Logan asked, rocking in his chair. Xavier could tell he was itching to chase down the others in Russia.

"I'm afraid not." Xavier answered as he replaced the phone on the receiver. Ororo's team hadn't called in for hours

"Shouldn't we do something?" growled Logan, clenching his fists. After the first hour without word, Logan had nearly shifted into full combat mode.

"We don't yet know if there's anything that needs to be done," Xavier reminded him gently.

Logan snarled something incomprehensible. "Right. Ro just 'forgot' to check in. Come on, don't tell me you buy that, Chuck!"

"No, I don't," Xavier told him evenly. "But simply charging in right now could simply things worse."

"So we just sit on our hands?!" Logan snarled, leaping to his feet and circling the room.

"I didn't say that." With that, Xavier closed his eyes and reached out with his mind. _Jean? Any luck?_

The reply was professional, without emotion, and … slightly bitter. _Nothing. They've all been using their powers, along with some other mutants, but there's been nothing for hours._

Xavier's expression turned grave. "It looks like they're caught up in a fight," he told Logan and Jean.

_I don't understand; why wouldn't we hear something like this on the news by now?_ Jean asked.

Logan mumbled to himself; he'd never gotten used to these telepathic chats. '_Cause in Russia, democracy or not, they're better at reigning in their media than we are_.

_So do we go help out? _Jean asked. She had been itching to get back in the field since the Professor had grounded her.

Before Xavier could answer, they both sensed an approaching presence at the gate.

Approaching the front door, Logan growled. "That best not be Kelly or his goons."

Glaring Logan into silence, Xavier spoke into the microphone. "Who is this?"

The speaker crackled. "Martha Jenkles, Department of State."

After exchanging a surprised look with Logan, Xavier continued. "I don't understand … why are you here?"

The voice softened. "I'm afraid I have some bad news, Professor. About your team in Russia."

[

**Moscow: 12 Hours Earlier**

Ororo groaned and shifted in Piotr's arms. "Wh-what's happening?" she gasped.

Piotr tightened his hold. "Do not struggle," he whispered. "We are surrendering."

Ororo shook her head. "No," she whispered. "Not after …"

"Sshhh," he whispered, indicating the closing ring of soldiers.

Turning to his second, the officer in charge gave the order. "Take them out."

"Sir?" asked the bewildered second.

"You're relieved!" the officer growled. Before he could select a replacement, his jeep's front end crumpled as it flew towards the nearby tanks.

"What …?" he gasped as a young women stepped out of a black void beside him.

"I believe you have a Concussion," Darkstar responded coolly as her comrade continued directing his invisible force towards the troops in the other direction.

As the cornered X men watched the spectacle, another mutant ran over to them and clenched his fists. Within seconds, the X men were surrounded by a shimmering field. "You will be safe inside my field," he told them in Russian.

"_Danke_," Piotr called out. Ignoring him, the mutant focused on his force field.

Elsewhere, the fight took a more brutal turn. Smashing through the wall of a nearby building, a large, balding man ignored the bullets bouncing off his body and began grabbing any soldier in reach, crushing their bones like twigs.

From the other direction, a polar bear and white tiger began carving their own paths through the soldiers. Within minutes, the snow had turned crimson.

_Eeeewwww _thought a horrified Kitty. _These guys are brutal!_

No such thoughts entered Darkstar's mind as she redirected her dark energies towards the soldiers nearby. None of the soldiers' souls stood a chance.

"Darkstar," the communicator squawked. Tossing another squad with the dark energies at her command, she flicked the switched. "What?" she snapped.

"Several divisions are en route. The first will be 100.57 feet away in 2.73 minutes. Your odds of escape decrease every second by precisely…"

"All right!" she growled. Switching to the team channel, she began. "Exiles, reinforcements are on their way. Vanguard, you come with me and the X men. Everyone else, you know where to meet." Teleporting within the force field, she addressed them in English. "We have little time; you must come with me."

Sighing, Ororo responded. "You leave us little choice."

"Then take my hand."

--------------------

"Uhhhh" Warren groaned as he finally came to. As he opened his eyes, the room around him came into focus. "So much for the nightmare theory," he muttered.

"I wouldn't give up on that yet," came a voice as a short, scarred soldier entered the room. Instinctively, Warren pushed off with his feet and wings, only to discover they were chained to the wall.

"Your wings are remarkable," the soldier observed as he watched Warren struggle.

"You can't keep me here!" grunted Warren.

"Oh, and why not?"

"I'm an American citizen, and my government knows I'm here. You can't kidnap …"

"Kidnap? How can we kidnap a dead mutant?" put in another voice as a man in a business suit joined them.

Warren glared at the new arrival. "In case you haven't noticed …"

"Oh, we see you just fine. However, at this very moment our Foreign Minister is offering his regrets to your ambassador for the tragic accident." Seeing Warren's confused face, the man continued. "Oh, you haven't heard? I'm afraid that, officially, you and your team perished in the explosion you caused when you attacked the nearby 61st division."

"That's a lie," Warren growled.

"Is it?" The businessman's smile grew wider. "I'm afraid I've heard nothing to contradict it."

"You're dead, Worthington," the soldier put in. "Your parents are grieving. Xavier is already preparing funerals for you and the other teams. You are nothing now."

Warren looked at the floor. Despite himself, he couldn't help but wonder if they were telling the truth … _No, they're trying to break me. But why …?_

Looking directly at the two men, Warren decided upon the direct approach. "If I'm nothing, then what do you want from me?"

After exchanging a look with the soldier, the businessman answered. "Why don't we start with the location of your fellow X men?"

"You'd have to fly over to Bayville," Warren answered smartly.

The businessman frowned. "The X men in Russia, if you please, and do not play stupid again."

"I thought you said they were dead," Warren deadpanned.

Frowning, the businessman was about to say something when the soldier gave him a not-too-friendly glare. "Let me handle the interrogation.

Frowning contemptuously, the businessman turned and stalked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

Without another word, the soldier turned back to Warren and drew a small rod from his belt.

_What the hell is_ …_? _Warren soon forgot his question as the soldier jammed the rod into his wings. At the moment, only pain crossed his mind.

[

**Kentucky**

Across the Atlantic, another mutant also writhed in pain. In this case, however, the mutant was much younger; and the pain came not from weapons or devices, but her own body.

"Paige? Paige, look at me, honey!" Ellen cried hovering over her daughter.

"It hurts, Mommy," Paige whimpered.

"Where does it hurt, Paige?" whispered a horrified Edward.

"Everywhere …" she groaned, clenching her small fists.

From the doorway, Hank watched grimly as the parents attended to their pain-wracked doctor. _Hippocrates would have a hell of a time here_ he thought bitterly.

_Well, Dr McCoy? You're the doctor in the house; what's it going to be?_

Hank took another look at Paige writhing on her bed. A mutant manifesting at an unnaturally young age; would her body be able to handle it?

Would it handle the delay?

--------------------

"Uuugghhhh," Rogue grunted as a bottle bounced off her shoulder. "You people need a hobby," she grumbled, ducking into a side street and hiding behind a dumpster.

The mob barely paused as it reached the intersection; instead, it began spreading out in different directions, searching for her. "Last time I come along on any family emergencies."

"There she is!" a voice called. Rogue whipped around just in time to receive a blow to the side. Grunting in pain, she fired a kick into the boy's knee.

_Okay, so much for handling this yourself_ she thought, hitting the emergency signal on her comm.

--------------------

"Sam?" Tabitha had wandered into the kitchen hoping to find out what they drank in the south only to find Sam staring out the window while nursing a glass of water.

"Oh, uh, hey Tabs," he stammered awkwardly, fixing his gaze on whatever was outside the window, or inside his head.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Well, let's see. Mah sister's in pain every hour and mah pah's blaming all his troubles on me an' Xavier. Other than that, I'm peachy. You?"

Giggling quietly, Tabitha tried a new tack. "You wanna go up and smack him one?" she offered with a wicked grin.

He shot her a look. "Is everything a joke to you?"

"Hey, hey, hey" she answered, holding her hands up in surrender. "You wanna sulk in the kitchen, that's cool too. Just don't expect me to join in," she finished as she opened the fridge, hunting for something cool and stimulating.

Sam sighed. "Ah'm sorry, Tabs. Ah just …" he stopped, realizing he had no idea how to put it into words. Especially not with Tabitha.

"You know, you're better getting words out in the Danger Room," smirked Tabitha, crossing her arms and leaning against the fridge.

Sam allowed himself a short chuckle. "Ya know, Ah thought, since I was coming down here, it'd be a good chance to catch up with mah old neighbours and friends …"

"But ...?" Tabitha prompted. "Come on, I can do the therapy gig!"

Smiling slightly, Sam continued. "Now Ah'm not sure Ah wanna show mah face t'them; y'know, bein' a mutant n'all.

"Aww, c'mon." Tabitha sauntered over and sat on the kitchen counter. "Look, far as I see it, your looks haven't gone off like McCoy's, your mind hasn't gone haywire like Rogue's, and you can take people on supersonic flights around the block." She couldn't help but lean toward him. "My advice, Guthrie? You don't like that attitude, don't take it."

"Ehhhhh" Sam managed, rubbing his neck as he noticed how close Tabitha's face was to his. "When did you start givin' therapy?"

"Must be your mom's lemonade."

"She bought it at the store."

"Southern air?"

"Uhhh, maybe."

"Guys?" Jerking up at the sound of Scott's voice, Tabitha lost her grip on the counter and tumbled towards the floor, only to land on top of Sam.

"Uhh, hey Scott," stammered Sam, his face reddening as he realized what position Scott, and now his friend Amara, he noticed, had caught him in. "What's up?" he continued, gently pushing Tabitha off as he noticed Scott and Amara had both switched to their combat uniforms.

Frowning at the sight before him, Scott went on. "Rogue's in trouble."

-------------------

"All right, who wants t'go first?" Rogue growled pulling off her gloves and waving her bare hands at the crowd.

Someone shouted "Don' touch 'er skin!"

Instead, they decided to pelt her with whatever came to hand. Soon, Rogue found herself shielding her face from rocks, sticks, and whatever else flew her way. "Ahh!" she cried out as a brick smashed into her hands, slamming them against her own forehead.

Watching from across the street, Rochelle could only shake her head in horror as the young lady collapsed. _Did I ever call the wrong sheriff._

As the crowd closed in on her, Rogue was barely aware of the new voice that entered the fray.

"Well, now, ain't this a shameful display!" Heads turned as Rochelle crossed the street, her famous stern expression on her face.

"Don' worry 'bout it, Rochelle," one of the men called out. "We just got a problem to deal with."

"I'll say." Rochelle retorted, looking directly at the man. "Standin' right in front o' me."

"C'mon, Rochelle!" a woman called. "Did you see what she did to the Sheriff?"

"She's a monster!" a teenager shouted.

"Ah don't see no monsters here." Rochelle continued quietly, looking among the crowd. "Only one beat-up girl and a lotta mah customers actin' like the devil's servants."

"Get her outta here!" called Kenny. Several of his friends were quick to comply as they roughly dragged a protesting Rochelle in the opposite direction while the mob turned its attention back to a stirring Rogue.

The young men had only travelled a few feet, however, when a red beam landed directly beside them, stopping them in their tracks.

"Let her go," ordered Scott, his hand still on his visor. Quickly, the teenagers released Rochelle and ran down the street.

"You the friends she came down with?" asked Rochelle.

"Who?" asked a surprised Scott.

"Her." Following the woman's finger, Scott spotted the crowd gathered at the intersection.

"Rogue!" Scott shouted, racing toward the crowd. As he neared them, he fired a beam over their heads.

As the surprised townspeople turned their heads, Scott decided it was time to try talking.

"Listen to me!" he shouted raising his arms. "We're not here to fight! What has she done to you?"

"She sucked th'life outta the Sheriff and beat his two boys!" one of them shouted.

Scott sighed, hoping this wasn't the unique Rogue-tantrum. "She wasn't trying to," he called out, hoping against hope to reason with the crowd. "She can't control her powers; her skin does that whether she likes it or not."

"Then she shouldn't be out among normal folks!" a lady called.

"An' neither should you!" added a young store clerk as he threw his last rock toward Scott, who promptly vaporised it with a short blast.

"Don't …" he tried.

"Get 'im!" Now, the majority of the mob turned its sight on Scott.

So much for talking. "Tabitha! Now!" Scott shouted. Eager to join in, Tabitha winked and blew her handful of tiny bombs towards the crowd, scattering them. "Amara! Get Rogue!" Scott ordered.

The young princess was already focusing her energies on the ground. It had taken her years to develop this trick.

"Yeaaahhhh!" she shouted as the ground under her erupted, sending her flying over the crowd. Landing near Rogue, she quickly fired a few blasts at the crowd's feet, driving them back a few meters. "Uuuhhhh," she grunted as she grabbed the semi-conscious goth. "Now would be a good time to wake up, Rogue"

On the other side of the crowd, Tabitha grunted as she dodged another rock. "OK. You want to play?" she called as she formed two larger bombs in her hand. "Catch!" she shouted, tossing one after the other into the heart of the mob.

"It's like an invasion!" Kenny grunted as he fled the barrage with his friends.

"Hey, maybe we outta find their jet." Jarek suggested.

"They have a jet?" Kenny asked.

"Ya, mah ma said she saw one landing behind the Guthrie home. Ain't they kid a mutant?"

"Oh, yeah." Kenny grinned. He'd never liked Guthrie; the guy had been an absolute ladies man without even trying; even Kenny's girl Shelley had made a move on him before he had left for the 'special' school in Bayville. And if there were mutants parking their jet at Guthrie's house …

"Let's go see."

--------------------

"So yer sayin' yer not even sure this thing'll work?" asked Edward, staring at the vial.

Hank nodded grimly. Only a few minutes before, he had decided to at least float the serum option before the parents. After all, such decisions were supposed to be left to the family, right?

"I used it on myself for a while; I was able to suppress my mutation until I reached my late 30's." He took a breath. "Um, I'm sure you've heard the stories about the Beast of Bayville." Edward and Ellen nodded grimly. "I've often suspected that my mutation … exploded, for lack of a better term, precisely because I'd been suppressing it for so long."

"What're you sayin'?" Ellen asked.

"That trying to suppress Paige's mutation might ease her pain now, but, in the long run …" Hank searched his mind for an analogy "… it may be like holding the lid down on a pot of boiling water."

"Y'mean it may make things worse later," Edward finished, his face downcast.

"Perhaps. Or it may give you time to properly prepare her for her mutation," Hank added.

Edward and Ellen only looked at each other. "Is there no other way?" Ellen asked.

Hank sighed. "Well, I haven't often seen mutant powers manifesting at this age, except for …" his voice trailed off as he thought of the Leech boy in New York.

"What?" Edward asked.

Looking back at them, Hank decided they should know. "Well, one young mutant in New York, around Paige's age, was experiencing constant headaches due to his mutation. Apparently, they stopped when he first unleashed his powers. Paige's mutation may be similar …"

"No." Samuel shook his head vehemently. "Sorry, but one mutant in the family's enough."

"Sorry t'have troubled y'all," came Sam's cold voice from the top of the stairs. After his parents had gone downstairs to speak with McCoy, he had gone to stay with Paige to stay with her until she fell asleep. He had left just in time to hear the conversation about the serum.

"Sam …"

"Don't." Crossing his arms, Sam stalked downstairs and jabbed a finger into his father's chest. "You know one thing McCoy hasn't told you? Serum or not, Paige'll always be a mutant, just like me." After giving his father a light shove, Sam stalked outside, calling over his shoulder. "Keep that in mind."

Sighing, Hank turned to face the shocked parents. "He's right, I'm afraid. Paige's mutation, whatever it is, will still be there, for the rest of her life. Sooner or later, it's something you'll all have to face."

Though taken aback by his son's reaction and Hank's sobering warning, the Guthries wouldn't budge. "We'll settle for later, Mr. McCoy." Looking up towards Paige's bedroom, he added. "Our daughter deserves a chance at a normal life."

Outside, Sam stood looking at the street he had used to call home.

Now, it was just a street full of houses, all full of old friends and neighbours who he hadn't spoken to since mutants had gone public.

Noticing Ms. Childs, his old babysitter, pulling in to the house next door, he offered what he hoped looked like a friendly wave. Ms Childs gave him one look and paused before her eyes widened in fear. She immediately hurried inside and slammed the door.

Sam sighed. Same old, same …

"OOOWWW!" Sam grunted as something hard struck him from behind.

"Well, look who came home fer a visit," came a voice he knew well.

"Kenny …?" he grunted in surprise, but Kenny was already on his phone.

"Hey, James, you'll never guess what I found at the Guthrie house … yea, bring the other guys over; there may be more inside."

[

**Moscow**

Across the oceans, other X men rested as they attempted to learn about their apparent saviours.

"Wh-who are you people?" asked a still-shivering Kitty.

"We are Exiles," answered Darkstar brusquely as she tended to Ororo's wound.

"X – whats?" asked a recovered Bobby, sitting near Jubilee.

"Outcasts, if you will," put in a new voice. Darkstar immediately straightened.

"Father Garnoff," she greeted, addressing the tall, somber man that had arrived, his aged eyes focused on the X men. Behind him stood several other mutants.

"Uhhh, that's your dad?" asked a confused Jubilee.

"No," Kurt put in before either Russian could answer. "He's a priest."

The slightest of smiles appeared on the man's face. "Yes. I was a priest, before …"

"Before our government began hunting down mutants, along anyone who 'offered aid or comfort' to them," finished Darkstar, her face returning to the cold, bitter expression it seemed to wear as a matter of habit.

Garnoff said nothing to this outburst, but simply looked at Darkstar, who immediately bowed her head and stepped back, falling silent. This did not go unnoticed by the X men.

"Uhh, somebody mind telling us who you guys are?" Kitty asked, attempting to break the awkward silence.

"We are a single cell of exactly 28 located throughout Russian territory," stated a wiry, balding mutant. "At this point, we currently number …"

"Mentac," Garnoff interrupted quietly. Turning back to the X men. "To put it simply, we are mutants who have banded together to fight against the bigotry that has swept our nation. At the moment, you are in one of our safehouses."

"Sick," breathed Bobby. "You're, like, real rebels?" _This is too awesome_.

"As real as they come, Comrade Drake" answered Garnoff, his serious expression not diminishing. "Sometimes, bigotry and oppression must be fought against." He took a step forward. "But, rebels or not, we do try to mind our manners. I believe you have already met Darkstar, Concussion, Vanguard, Iron Curtain, Ursa Major, and Sibercat," he said, pointing to the mutants who had helped them escape the army.

"Behind me is Mentac and Stencil," he continued, indicating the group behind him. "And I am known as …"

"_Cлепое вера_," murmured Piotr, his mind flashing back to the story his father had told him. Hearing this, Garnoff shot Piotr a dark look.

"Uhhh, who?" asked a confused Kitty, who had just wrapped herself in Piotr's jacket as she tended to Ororo.

"I've heard of this man," Piotr went on, his eyes never leaving Garnoff. "My parents told me of a former priest capable of controlling the minds of others. They said he could make you forget him, or …" he trailed off.

"You should not put so much stock in tall tales, young man," Garnoff told him coldly.

"Then what did you just do to your soldier?" Piotr demanded, pointing at Darkstar.

"How dare you …!"

"Peter!" Ororo's voice cut in as she slowly sat up. "We've had enough fighting for one day," she continued levelly, addressing both men.

Slumping his shoulders, Piotr cast Garnoff another dark look and stalked toward the other end of the room.

"Your children have a strange way of showing their appreciation," Darkstar observed.

"We've all had a hard day," Ororo answered. Fixing her gaze upon Garnoff and Darkstar, she continued. "We are grateful; in fact we owe you our lives. But, for the moment, we have our own mission here in Russia …"

"You mean the Rasputin boy's parents?" Garnoff asked, a knowing look on his face.

Narrowing her eyes, Ororo responded. "Yes, but how …?"

"We learned of your arrival when our inside man Holy Grail overheard the enemy's radio transmissions." Stroking his beard, Garnoff continued. "The rest was purely guesswork."

"Do you know where my parents are? What about Illyana?" Piotr asked, rejoining the group. No one noticed Darkstar's eyes widening slightly at the mention of Illyana.

"We think so. Darkstar?" he continued, turning to his second.

Banishing her dark thoughts, Darkstar took up "As far as we can tell, all normal humans with any links to known mutants, genetic or otherwise, were taken either to the labour camp near St. Petersburg or the state prison in Moscow."

"In fact, your arrival could not have come at a better time," added Garnoff.

"Why not?" asked Bobby.

"Must I spell it out?" After an uneasy silence, Garnoff went on. "We intend to liberate that prison. And we would like your help."

--------------------

"Uuugghhhh." Warren groaned. He had long lost track of how long he had been strapped down. Since waking up, the soldier with the rod had come back several times, always with an increasingly painful session following.

Strangely enough, the rational part of his mind noticed, he hadn't been asked a single question in what seemed like hours, or perhaps days …?

_Got to get out … find the others …_

_Kind of tricky when you and your wings are strapped down._

_It hurts …_

Swimming in his own pain, Warren barely noticed the door swing open. _Here we go again_ he thought, before realizing that someone was fiddling with his restraints. _What…?_

"Do not struggle," his visitor whispered. After what seemed like an eternity, Warren finally felt the straps slip free, dropping him to the ground. His mysterious saviour knelt next to him. "Give your legs and arms a minute; they have been still for hours," he instructed quietly.

Grimacing at the numbing pain, Warren slowly turned his head towards the other man, noticing a white lab coat and the troubled frown.

"Who …?" he gasped.

"It does not matter," the man stated, helping a woozy Warren get to his feet. "Listen carefully: at the top of these stairs, there is a back entrance to your right at the end of the hall." Pausing for a moment to dig in his pockets, he placed an object in Warren's hand. "I believe this was yours."

Looking at his open palm, Warren immediately recognized his own com badge. Looking back at the man, he found the strength to ask "Why are you doing this? You know what will happen to you if …"

"Let me worry about that," his rescuer insisted.

"I still want to know why," Warren pressed, his voice already strengthening.

After a moment, the man sighed and responded "Let's just say the state has hit me too close to home." Again, he pointed toward the stairs.

After a moment, Warren simply nodded and rushed toward the stairs, pausing only to look over his shoulder and call out "Thank you." The man only looked away. Warren shrugged and rushed for his freedom.

Within minutes, Warren was skybound, his exhaustion forgotten. _Got to find the others … the communicator!_ Quickly, Warren called up the locator function.

Near his position, 6 dots blinked brightly. _They're all right; better get to them fast, before somebody … attacks?_

Warren realized, for the moment, that the prison behind him was as quiet as when he left. _That soldier should have returned by now …_

Warren decided to leave that question for later.

Shaking his head sadly, First Medical Officer Dmitry Zhenya walked to the nearby security office, where he was greeted by Uzkhov, still clutching the rod he had used on Warren.

"Well played, Doctor."

"I have done as you asked; now I wish to see my brother," Zhenya told him.

After staring a moment, Uzkhov nodded. "Of course. Come, I'll take you to him immediately." Placing an arm along Zhenya's shoulders, Uzkhov quickly drew his combat knife, and slashed Zhenya across the throat.

Looking into the doctor's shocked eyes, Uzkhov smirked and told him "I'm afraid your mutie brother didn't survive the camp." Dropping the dying Zhenya to the floor, he added "Don't worry; we'll be sure to bury you near him."

Stepping away from the corpse, Uzkhov switched on his radio. "Tail teams: the mutant is on the move."

--------------------

"Oh, you have, like, got to be kidding me …!" Kitty exclaimed.

"We did not risk our lives rescuing you simply to make jokes," Darkstar answered coldly.

"You vant _us_ to join your team?!" Kurt asked incredulously. "I don't zhink so!"

"Yeah; in case you didn't notice, we're taken," sneered Jubilee.

"Perhaps next time, we should simply leave you to the army and SVR!" Concussion replied hotly.

"I told you," muttered the large, balding mutant Iron Curtain. "Americans are an ungrateful bunch."

"You wanna say that again, Iron Drape?" glared Bobby as he iced up. Without another word, Iron Curtain grabbed Bobby's head in one hand and lifted him off the ground.

"Hey!" shouted Jubilee as she threw her brightest fireworks in front of Iron Curtain's face. As he buried his face in his free hand, still gripping Bobby, Kitty reached out and phased Bobby through the larger mutant's grip.

As his eyesight returned, Iron Curtain turned to see a metallic fist smash into his face, knocking him to the ground.

"You mess with wrong team!" Piotr growled. Before he could make another move, however, he found himself smashed into the nearby wall by Concussion's force blasts.

"Hey!" Kitty snarled, leaving Bobby and charging toward the glowing mutant. Firing off his blasts, Concussion was surprised to see them pass through her.

"I zhink you made her mad!" Kurt whispered after porting behind Concussion. As Concussion reached for him, Kurt hopped out of range and waved. "Nice knowing you!"

As the blue-furred mutant ported away, Kitty launched herself toward her target, driving her heel into his spine.

"Ooofff!" Concussion grunted as he landed on his stomach, reminding himself never to underestimate those skinny American girls. Before he could finish that thought, he found his hands being grabbed and shoved … into the ground. "Hey!" he growled, finding his hands firmly encased in the concrete.

"Hey, it vas nothing personal!" Kurt cried as he finally threw a large, very angry tiger off him. Growling, Sibercat began to circle her prey.

Meanwhile, Bobby, having recovered from Iron Curtain's grip, turned to see the young, blond Exile, _Stencil, wasn't it?_ - withdraw a small machine gun from her jacket and aim it towards the X men. Quickly, he hurled an ice beam in her direction, jamming the gun.

Most of the Exiles began inching toward the scuffle, eager to join in.

"ENOUGH!"

"Stop it! All of you!"

Both team leaders' voices rang through the chamber. After a glare from Ororo, Kitty reluctantly pulled Concussion's hands out of the ground while the two teams retreated to opposite ends of the room.

"This fighting, no matter the outcome, can only be counterproductive to either of our causes," stated a surprisingly calm Mentac as he stepped forward to the middle of the room to face the X men. "And please understand: there are several hundred Russian citizens, human and mutant, in that prison, only a small fraction of which have been publicly charged." Glancing at Piotr as he picked himself up, he added. "It is highly probable that your parents are among them." Turning back to the rest of the team, he continued. "In addition, by ourselves, we face a mere 53% probability of success. With you at our sides, our chances could grow as high as … 79%, thereby increasing …"

"All right, all right, we get the picture," grumbled Bobby.

"Is this not what you claim to fight for?" Garnoff asked, addressing Ororo directly. "This is precisely what is about to happen in America, except the mobs do not yet have the state behind them; and how long will that last?" Taking another step, he continued. "If we do not stand together against this policy, how can we survive? We need your help!!"

Ororo could only shake her head. "I'm sorry, Father."

"Sorry!" Having remained quiet during the skirmish, Darkstar was now advancing on the X men. "Innocent mutants, children even, are being picked off the street and shut away for the rest of their lives! We are being exterminated this very day!" Glaring directly at Ororo, Darkstar snarled. "How can you ignore such a thing and call yourself heroes?!"

Ignoring the uncertain looks on the rest of her team and the blank look on Piotr's face, Ororo answered gently. "Because we simply cannot take on the entire world's problems; we are too few." Sighing, she added in a harsher tone "Besides, we could never work with your team."

"Why not?" Darkstar snapped, glaring at the X men.

Facing their gazes without flinching, Ororo answered, "Must I spell it out? You just slaughtered several dozen human beings!"

"So?" growled Ursa Major, crossing his large arms.

"Do you not fight for mutant rights?" the short mutant Stencil asked, tossing her useless gun to the ground. "Is this not the type of policies you stand against? Or was that merely your sound bytes for the American news?"

Ororo stared at the hard-faced Exiles, "You don't know us at all, do you?" The Exiles blinked at her tone; even the wind sounded angry. "We fight against _anyone_ who commits acts like these!"

"So you would defend those that lock up our people, threaten our families, and make it their goal to wipe our race from existence?" Darkstar stared at Ororo, appalled.

Ororo sighed and shook her head; she often preferred to leave such arguments to Charles. "Do any of you read your history? The Bastille? Sarajevo? People attempt to fight oppression through violence, and all they create is more misery!"

"I read history too, Ms Munroe." Garnoff answered darkly. "The Munich Agreement. My own country's non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany. Trust me, Ms Munroe, there are some beasts that cannot be appeased, not without a fight."

"And you cannot end a war of oppression simply by feeding it." Ororo responded smartly.

"Excuse me?" All heads finally turned to Mentac, who was looking up from his laptop. "I'm afraid this debate, while enlightening and certainly relevant to our struggle, has little to no value at the moment."

"Why?" asked Garnoff coolly.

"Because, several hours ago, our target was destroyed."

"What?!" Garnoff strode over to Mentac.

"Holy Grail has just reported that the state prison in Moscow was recently levelled. According to the reports … there were precisely 0 guards found alive, and all prisoners are missing."

"Missing …?" asked a shaken Piotr.

"But … what about the other prison?" a baffled Garnoff asked.

"Still in place," Mentac immediately responded.

Turning to face his team, Garnoff went on. "Then we must change our plan. Exiles: prepare yourselves; we leave for the St Petersburg camp in an hour." Turning around, he continued. "X men, I will ask once more: will you aid us?"

Ororo shook her head, her expression grave "We can't."

"And the rest of you?" Garnoff asked, turning to the other members.

"Uh uh," Jubilee waved dismissively. "I've had enough of this place."

Kurt crossed his arms and shook his head. "Zorry; our teams just don't mix anyway."

"Well …" Bobby began, until he noticed Jubilee glaring his way. Rubbing his neck, he finished "Not without the others."

Kitty gave Garnoff a sympathetic look. "Look, uh, I guess your hearts in the right place, but, well, you're just, like, too brutal for me."

Garnoff eyed Piotr. "Mr. Rasputin?"

Piotr shifted uneasily, realizing that all eyes had turned to him. Looking squarely at an expectant Ororo, Piotr made his decision.

"I'm sorry." He watched Ororo's face fall in disappointment. "But my family may be in that prison," he continued, walking over next to Garnoff.

"That is why I must stop your mad attack!" he cried out as he suddenly grabbed Garnoff, squeezing him in his tightest bearhug.

"Peter!" Ororo cried out.

"I've seen your fight for 'freedom'!" Piotr growled as he squeezed tighter. "I've been beholden to mad rebels like you before!" Already he could feel the priests bones crack. Leaning in, he whispered into Garnoff's ear. "And I've heard what you have done in the name of your _cause_." Pushing Garnoff to the floor, he continued, "So tell me: what does that make you, _father?!_"

Gasping for breath, Garnoff answered "A desperate man." Placing his hands at his temples, he muttered "I'm sorry."

Before Piotr could even twitch, he found himself frozen; not by ice, but by voices calling to him.

_She's waiting for you …_

_Piotr, where are you …_

_Help us Piotr, we need you …_

Opening his eyes, Piotr offered Garnoff a hand and pulled the priest to his feet.

"Peter?" Kitty stepped forward, curious at the change in behaviour. As Piotr turned to face her, she noticed his face had gone blank.

Breathing raggedly, Kitty glared at Garnoff. "What have you done to hi- AAAHHHH!"

Kitty screamed as Garnoff fixed his gaze on Kitty, assaulting her with images of humans burning orphanages, Lance dragging her into his criminal enterprise, dreams of Xavier and the other professors plotting to 'deal with' her friend Danielle …

As suddenly as they started, the images stopped. Kitty's mind had never felt so clean. As she turned to face her former teammates, her blank expression matched Piotr's.

"Kitty?!" A horrified Kurt looked from Piotr to Kitty to Garnoff. "Vhat do you zhink you're doing?"

Garnoff's expression could not have darkened any further. "You leave me with little choice, X men, but to relieve you of yours."

Even the Exiles were shocked at this turn.

"Father …?" was all Darkstar could manage.

"This battle is too important; we need every mutant we can find!" Garnoff answered, before turning and focusing his hypnotic suggestions on the rest of the X men.

Feeling the pressure on her mind, and knowing what it meant, Ororo immediately hit the emergency signal on her comm. badge. _Goddess help us_ she thought as she watched Bobby, Kurt, and Jubilee's expressions glaze over.

[

**Xavier Institute: 6 Hours Later**

Logan screamed in rage as he burrowed his claws inside the latest robot. At this point, he cared little for the money he was costing the Institute; he just wanted to destroy something. It was a hell of a lot easier than looking his own grief in the eye.

When that State staffer Jenkles had told him of the team's death, Xavier had had to telepathically restrain him to stop him from tearing the woman up. His mind flashed back to the woman's message

"_I'm afraid that our ambassador just got word from the Russian government…"_

"_What word?" Logan demanded._

_Taking a deep breath, Jenkins continued . "Did you have a team in Russia?"_

"_What's it to ya?" Logan growled._

"_Logan," Xavier cautioned._

"_It appears they got … involved with one of the terrorist cells in Russia."_

"_What happened?" Jean demanded._

_Jenkles looked at her knees as she gave the news. _

"_Just a few hours ago, the military attacked that same cell. I'm afraid they … they found your friends' bodies within the rubble."_

Upon hearing the news, Jean had fled to her room; knowing what she could do with her power, she dared not let it out on another government employee.

In contrast, Xavier had kept his composure, his tightening jaw and brow the only indications of how the news affected him. With a heavy voice, he had bid the woman farewell and wheeled away without another word.

Logan growled as his rage gave way to thoughts of loss and sadness. Sinking down next to a wall, Logan buried his face in his hands.

_Russkie … just when we finally got ya on our team, yer own home wipes you out_

_Jubilee … I ain't tellin' your parents we _did_ get ya killed this time_

_Ice cube … jesus, these were _kids!

_Elf … it's gonna be dull around here now_

_Half-pint … hell, ya just started growin' up_

_Ro …_

After hours of taking the news out on the Danger Room, Logan finally let out a sob. Later, he would wonder why the thought of the weather goddess' death had broken him that way. At the moment, though, he didn't care to analyze.

Ro and the kids were gone.

Simple as that.

Snorting, Logan got up, and headed for the door when he noticed the scent of sulphur. _Can't be…_

[

**Kentucky: 6 Hours Earlier**

"Yer makin' a mistake …" Sam gasped, glaring up at the three boys.

"Nah, you and yer freak friends are the _mistakes_," Kenny answered, sharing a wicked grin with his friends as he raised his foot.

"Let's just see." Without another word, Sam thrust his heel into Kenny's ankle, knocking the surprised bully into the grass.

Pushing off into the shoulder roll Logan had drilled him on, Sam hopped to his feet and turned to face the other two. "Yer trespassin' now!"

"Get 'im!" As the other two rushed towards him, fists raised, Sam acted on instinct and grabbed the arm of the closer attacker – Jarek from kindergarten, wasn't it? - and spun about, putting his body into the throw and pitching Jarek into the ground.

Without pause, Sam turned and crouched to face his second attacker – Larry from neighbourhood, didn't they used to be pals … - who was swinging his fist where Sam's face had been. Quickly, Sam grabbed Larry around the waist and stood up, dropping Larry over his shoulder.

"Don't push me, fellas!" he warned, his skin beginning to glow as he called on his mutant power. His mind was on one of Ms. Munroe's lessons. _Sometimes, you can scare them off without a fight_.

"Uh-oh; let's get outta here!" cried Jarek, running towards his pickup, before Kenny grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Don't sweat it, Jarek; our reinforcements are on their way."

"Reinforcements?" Jarek asked, confused.

Seconds later, the 'reinforcements' arrived.

--------------------

"Come on!" taunted Amara, waving her fireball at the advancing crowd. Behind her, Rogue moaned and stirred.

"Just get outta town!" one of them called.

"You're kind of in our way," Amara replied smartly.

"Hey!" Heads turned skyward as an optic blast streaked down from the rooftop, landing between Amara and the mob. On the nearby rooftop, Scott stood, his visor glowing, ready for another shot. "Leave them alone," he warned.

On the rooftop across the street, Tabitha cheerfully waved her bomb-filled hands over the crowd.

"Just back off, and we'll do the same," Scott continued.

After several moments, the crowd finally backed out of the alley and instead crowded on the sidewalks, still glaring at the x men.

Groaning with effort, Amara tried to pick up Rogue again.

"I got her, Amara," Scott interrupted, hopping down to the street and hoisting his longtime friend into his arms. "Let's get back to the Velocity," he continued, looking at the glaring crowd. "I got a feeling we're not welcome here."

"Aw, man, I was getting used to the air," grumbled Tabitha.

--------------------

At the Guthrie home, Edward and Ellen expectantly hovered over Paige while Beast prepared the serum.

"What's that?" Paige asked, noticing Hank's work.

"Well, this is a little … potion I put together that should take the pain away," he gently told the small redhead. "For a while," he muttered to himself.

"You're not using needles, are ya?" Paige asked, shuddering. She didn't like needles; she got them every couple months from that creepy doctor.

"No, no, this you just have to drink" he answered, picking up the cup.

"Did ya add any sugar?" she asked with a hopeful look.

"Hmm; I never even thought of that," Hank chuckled.

"Come on, now, Paige; just drink the doctor's medicine," Edward told her.

"Okay."

As he handed her the small cup, he told himself _This is why I never went into medicine_. _God, this better work …_

Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, no one had a chance to find out.

"AAAAHHHHH!" Paige screamed as a beam fired through her window, showering her with broken glass and causing her to drop the cup. Now, the serum served merely to stain her bedsheets.

"What?" Hank growled, looking toward the window. A moment later, his earlier confusion was but a memory. "GET DOWN!"

--------------------

Outside, Sam dived behind a tree as another barrage of mining lasers headed their way. _That stupid Matthews jerk; he's started a damn fad! _Peeking around the tree, he noted several jeeps parked on the street, with the gunmen still sitting in them, firing at the house. _Gotta get them outta here_.

Clenching his fists, Sam hurled himself towards the nearest jeep.

The gunmen never knew what hit them, as their jeep slid all the way over to the other side of the street. Settling down, Sam glared at the other shocked gunmen. "It's me ye want, ain't it?"

"After the mutie!" screamed the man in the front jeep. As the drivers shifted gears and turned toward him, Sam leaped in the opposite direction. _That's it; I'm right here._

Sam had failed to notice, however, that the group leader had ordered the men in his jeep to check out the house for more mutants.

--------------------

"C'mon, let's check upstairs," Bob told his new friends.

"Not 'nother step," warned the man at the top of the stairs, shotgun aimed and ready.

Recognizing his old mining buddy, Bob just scratched his head and laughed. "Awww, c'mon Ed. Put the piece down 'fore someone gets hurt."

"You first," Edward answered coldly.

"Hey, hey," put in Ian, who had recruited Bob only hours before. "It ain't you we're after Ed; we just want the muties parkin' in yer backyard." None of them noticed one 'mutie' crawling stealthily across the ceiling.

"You already shot up mah house, an' now you expect me ta let ya look through it?!" For once in his life, Ed felt sorely tempted to pull the trigger right there and then. "Look at you; we been friends since we were young. Now, you only knock on mah door to play yer sick games!"

"Don't put this on us, Ed!" yelled Gus, Ed's former mining partner. "You were the one that fathered a freak o' nature!"

Ed's face relaxed as he cocked the shotgun. No tears or raised voices could reflect the near-murderous rage he felt now. "You talk about either o' mah children that way again, and Ah will forget that Ah once knew ya."

Shock appeared on the men's faces. "Yer … daughter too?" asked Ian.

Before Ed could answer, a blue furred blur dropped among them, grabbing their weapons and smashing them before they could react. Kicking Gus and Bob through the front door, Hank grabbed Ian by the shirt and pulled him close, glaring at the terrified miner.

"Next time, knock before you enter." he growled.

--------------------

_Come on!_

Passer-by's barely noticed the speeding mutant as he flashed by; instead, their attention was drawn to the line of jeeps in pursuit, packed with armed men.

Making another turn, Sam groaned. _I have been away too long_. An alley faced him. Already, he could hear the jeeps pulling in behind him, cutting off his exit.

The obvious one, anyway.

Exerting himself, Sam began to glow as he shot straight up into the air. Making a slow, lazy turn, Sam aimed for the jeep at the end of the alley. "Look out below!" he shouted.

Looking up, the armed men began frantically piling out of their jeeps.

As Sam closed on the jeep, he shifted his aim.

The metal crunch was heard several blocks down as Sam rammed the top of the jeep, crushing the vehicle and rendering it useless. Settling down, Sam glared at the now-trapped miners.

"Yer lucky Ah joined the X men," he told them before taking off again. _Gotta get home_.

--------------------

Hank turned to hear Edward cry out in pain as a set of mining lasers streaked past him towards Paige's bedroom.

Though part of his mind commended the clever flank, Hank's instincts took over and he snarled as he leaped toward Edward.

He only had time to hoist the man on his shoulders before the hallway lit up again with another laser barrage. Flipping back, Hank glared as another trio of men moved out onto the floor, firing down towards him. _No going up the stairs._

As he fled through the front door, the men continued along the landing, having noticed movement in the small bedroom at the end.

Hank made it outside just in time to run into Sam, whose face fell as he noticed Hank's passenger. "Pa!"

"Here! Take him!" Hank shouted, handing Edward over before hopping up onto the roof.

"Pa!" Sam cried, frantically shaking Edward. "Wake up!"

[

**Siberia**

"Exiles, X men, assemble in the ready room. We launch our attack within the hour." As the X men obediently followed his team, Darkstar and Mentac fell in behind Garnoff, both with concerned faces.

"Are you 100% positive about this action, Father Garnoff?" questioned Mentac. Garnoff cast his subordinate a curious glance; Mentac wasn't usually the questioning type. Prompted by the look, Mentac went on "Allow me to elaborate: besides the obvious issue concerning the strain you are placing on your powers …"

"There is no strain," Garnoff assured.

The balding mutant nodded. "Understood. However …"

"I believe he is referring to your conscripting the X men against their will," put in Darkstar.

"This is an important mission," Garnoff replied sharply, "and we do not have the time for philosophical debates." Seeing her hard expression remain, Garnoff sighed and conceded. "I don't like it either, but I see no other real choice. I will release them when the mission is complete."

Darkstar simply nodded, her mind still uncertain as she followed the teams of mutants to the hidden entrance.

--------------------

_What? _As Warren neared the source of Storm's comm. signal, he realized it had changed. Now, it beeped at a high pitch, more rapidly than before. _That means … oh, no_.

Flapping his wings harder, Warren veered towards the signal location … somewhere in the middle of a frozen plain. _What the …?_

Directly below him, a small opening had begun to appear and widen.

What was even stranger, however, was what came out.

Warren's feathered ruffled in disbelief as he watched Storm and the rest of the team, all with blank expressions, march out of the opening alongside a group of mutants he had never seen before.

_Okay, this isn't the first time we've seen this; someone's taken them over. But who?_

Scanning the crowd, Warren noticed a tall, bearded man speaking quietly to the two mutants near him; a balding, skinny man and a blond, hard-faced woman. _Maybe I'll ask him_.

"Are you ready, Darkstar?" Garnoff questioned.

"Yes," Darkstar replied as she raised her hands. "Just see to it I am not distracted."

She had spoken too soon.

"Uugghh!" she cried out as a red, black, and white blur slammed into her, after her portals were only partially formed. Unknown to her, the partial portals caught someone else's attention.

Warren continued his loop. _Better move fast_. Spotting the bearded man, Warren shifted his wings and darted straight toward him.

Garnoff, having been taken by surprise, had only just begun reaching out with his mind when the winged mutant slammed into his legs, grabbing hold and hauling him skyward.

--------------------

Some distance away, Uzkhov watched as the flying freak dove into the midst. Letting captured prisoners unknowingly lead them back to their camp was a tried-and-true tactic of his country's military, especially when used against rebel groups such as these mutants.

"Is this them?" he quietly asked the Intelligence Officer next to him. After carefully consulting the file folder in his hands, the officer gave him a brief nod.

"Remember, our orders are to eliminate them completely," put in the nearby Political Officer.

Looking at the battle before him, Uzkhov made his decision. "Wait. We should let the mutants wear each other out first."

--------------------

"Let them go!" Warren shouted at Garnoff, who only grunted as Warren continued his loop.

He needn't have ordered; mind control demands concentration. At the moment, Garnoff could scarcely concentrate on his own name.

"Uhhhh," Ororo groaned as she collapsed, feeling the mental pressure lift. Shaking her head, she glanced around and noticed the other X men reacting the same way. Then she noticed the others, and remembered before …

"X men, fall back!" she shouted, sending a quick gust of wind toward the Russian rebels. Focused on Garnoff and Warren, they were unprepared for the sudden onslaught, and toppled with barely a struggle.

"Exiles, fall in!" Darkstar shouted, drawing Iron Curtain and Ursa Major in with her powers. "Vanguard!" she called out, and was immediately rewarded with the appearance of his shimmering force field around them. Looking outside, she saw Garnoff still struggling with Angel, while Ororo and the other X men closed in on them.

"Release Father Garnoff!" she shouted. "Do you realize what you are doing?!"

"Defending ourselves," Ororo answered coldly as she increased her blizzard's intensity.

The two teams faced each other for a long time, Ororo's winds battering Vanguard's field. Separated by their powers, by their ideas, by their conflicting missions, none of them were ready for the new arrivals.

--------------------

Uzkhov looked at the standoff, and gave a simple order. "Go"

With that word, hell broke loose.

--------------------

The first missile slammed into Piotr, knocking him toward the field. Ceasing her attack, Ororo scanned the snowscapes for the missile's origin.

This time, it didn't take her long. More missiles were spiralling in, all from the southwest.

Seeing several missiles veer his way, Warren snapped at Garnoff "Hang on," and immediately veered toward the ground, with the missiles close behind.

Desperately, Ororo directed her winds against the barrage, knocking them onto a course that landed them far short of the group.

Hearing a familiar burst behind her, Ororo glanced over her shoulder to see Jubilee firing her sparks towards another series of missiles from a different direction. _We're_ _surrounded_.

Grunting with effort, Bobby fired ice blast after ice blast at the stream of missiles that seemed limitless. "I can't do this forever!" he shouted, just before a missile landed in front of him, catapulting him into unconsciousness.

"BOBBY!" Jubilee screamed, running over to him. Seeing a cluster of missiles heading their way, she reached out with her hands, triggering another cluster of bursts near the missiles and setting them off.

Woken by the noise, Bobby opened his eyes. It took him a few long seconds to realize his head was on Jubilee's lap, while Jubilee herself was setting off every missile in sight. _She looks better from this angle_.

Casting a concerned gaze down at him, Jubilee saw Bobby staring up at her, a smirk on his face. "What?" she glared.

"Just … enjoying the show," he mumbled.

Blushing ever so slightly, she yelled out "Storm! There's too many missiles!"

Thinking quickly, Ororo shouted "Everyone! Inside the field!" With that, she rushed over to Kitty, who was holding an unconscious Piotr. "Help me with him" Ororo ordered, grabbing one of Piotr's arms. Without a word, Kitty took Piotr's other arm and dragged him and Ororo through the shimmering field just ahead of the missiles.

"C'mon, Iceball," Jubilee snapped, trying to drag Bobby. "I've seen glaciers move faster than you!"

"Uhh, I like it where I am," Bobby grumbled, smiling slightly.

Jubilee scoffed. "Your timing's lousy, Ice."

Before he could respond, Kurt appeared next to them. "Sorry to interrupt, but we gotta go!" he stated, before grabbing them both and porting them inside the field. They were just in time to watch the reception.

"You have no business in here!" snarled Iron Curtain, grabbing Kitty with both hands. Grimacing, she quickly phased through his grip. Snarling, he raised a large fist, only to find it fixed in place.

"Now is not the time, Curtain." Darkstar told him. "Father Garnoff is still …" she broke off as Warren and Garnoff appeared next to her, ported in by Kurt. Opening his eyes, Garnoff glared at the winged mutant.

"You imbecile! Do you realize what you have done?!"

"You mean besides saving your life?" replied a confused Warren.

"You led them right to us!"

"That's impossible; I had to break out of prison to get here!"

"You were let out," put in a calmer Darkstar, helping Garnoff up. "It is one of their oldest tricks: releasing a prisoner to lead them back to his camp."

Warren's face fell; no wonder he hadn't been pursued.

"Can we fight later? I cannot hold them off forever!" Vanguard grunted, straining against the missile barrage.

"Then we have take out the launchers," Ororo answered before raising her arms.

"We?" asked Garnoff, before he noticed the winds picking up around them. Studying Ororo, he added "I thought you didn't fight governments."

"We don't start fights, and we didn't start this one," Ororo snapped, as she brought her powers to their fullest strength.

[

**Kentucky**

"Leave her alone!" Ellen cried, swinging Sam's old baseball bat at the armed men.

"Come now, that's not very welcoming," smirked the tall Miller. As Ellen took another desperate swing, he reached forward and shoved her into the dresser.

As Ellen cried out in pain, Paige sat upright in bed. "MAAA!" she screamed.

"It's about tahme we got ya'll outta our town." Miller grinned as they closed on the prone Ellen.

Suddenly, the men's plans were interrupted as the roof caved in, depositing another guest between Ellen and the gunmen.

"Sorry," he growled. "Visiting hours are _over_."

With that, he grabbed one of the startled men's gun and threw it through the door. As another raised his weapon, Hank's foot shot out, sending it flying in the same direction.

He wasn't fast enough for the third.

Hank snarled as a laser cut through his shoulder. Roaring in pain and rage, he snatched the still-armed Miller and hurled him toward the other two men, sending them out into the hallway.

Seeing them scramble to recover their weapons, Hank managed to calm himself as looked around for a weapon of his own.

Within seconds an idea hit him. "Excuse me," he told Paige, gently lifting her off the bed and placing her near Ellen, Hank lifted the bed off the floor and, turning to face the gunmen, hurled it with all his might.

Miller finally fired his weapon, only to see the laser run into a bed hurtling his way…

"Look out!"

Miller finally screamed as he dove away, the bed landing inches from him. "Let's get outta here!" he cried, scrambling toward the back door they had entered through. Before leaving, he lit the torch he had brought and tossed it toward the bedroom, where it immediately caught on the room's carpet. _Burn in hell, muties_.

"Wh-why …?" Paige whimpered, clinging to her semiconscious mother.

Hank growled in frustration. Did these people not know when to quit? Quickly, he kicked open the nearby window, grabbed Ellen and Paige, and hopped outside.

As he landed, Hank was greeted by another voice. "There y'are."

_You've got to be kidding_ Hank thought as he turned to face a group of teenagers. _Has the whole town joined the mob?_

--------------------

"Scott!" Sam called out, spotting the team approaching. Immediately, they ran up to them.

"Sam! What happened?" Scott asked.

"They shot 'im!" Sam cried.

After placing an unconscious Rogue next to Edward, Scott knelt next to Sam and examined the wound across Edward's back.

Scott resisted the urge to swear. The laser had opened the skin, allowing blood to seep out. Glancing around, Scott grabbed the largest, flattest rock he could find. "Amara, we have to cauterize the wound; can you use this?"

"You got it!" Grabbing the rock, Amara closed her eyes and concentrated. The rock began to glow. Quickly she began pressing it against the wound on Edward's back.

Where's Hank?" Scott demanded, looking around.

--------------------

"That's a dangerous weapon you've got there," Hank told the teen as he gently placed Paige and Ellen on the ground. The young girl was practically nonresponsive; another pain spasm had overtaken her attention.

"Suits me just fine," Kenny replied as he took another few steps toward the blue creature.

"Pardon me for asking, but have I done something wrong?" Hank asked as he began inching away from Ellen and Paige.

"Yer in our town!" Kenny snapped, jabbing the shotgun toward Hank.

Hank shook his head. "And you're about to become a criminal in your town."

Kenny shook his head. "Naww; only if you were human."

--------------------

Amara stopped her work as a shotgun blast rang through the air. "Oh no."

--------------------

Hank groaned in pain as he collapsed, clutching his shell-ridden leg, and glared at the armed teen advancing toward him. _How can there ever be peace with people like this?_

"Hey, Kenny, Ah don't think he's dead yet; put another in him."

"You read mah mind," Kenny grinned, cocking the shotgun. The grin vanished, however, when he noticed a short redhead crawling in front of the beast.

"Kenny!" the girl shouted. "Yer in big trouble!" she stated, pointing a small finger at him.

Kenny hesitated. "Get out o' the way, Paige," he called. "I'll take care o' th' monster." Sidestepping to shoot around Paige – he wasn't a murderer, after all – he began to squeeze the trigger.

"You leave 'im alone!" Paige shouted, running towards Kenny.

"No …" Hank groaned, desperately trying to reach out and stop her.

Appearing around the corner, Sam immediately saw the coming disaster. "PAIGE!" he screamed, hurling himself toward Kenny.

Paige continued toward Kenny …

Hank strained his muscles …

Sam desperately hurtled toward Kenny …

The gun clicked.

The shotgun blast was heard throughout the whole town.

Only nearby, though, were its full effects felt.

"PAIGE!!" Sam screamed, watching his baby sister fly through the air, several shotgun pellets in her.

Smashing into the ground next to her, Sam gathered his sister into his lap. Neither Hank's pained growls nor Kenny and his shotgun registered with him now; all he could see was his sister lying still.

Running up to join him, Scott and Tabitha froze at the sight. Though no one could see, Scott's eyes had narrowed into dangerous slits behind his visor. Tabitha, her usual joking self forgotten, simply stood aghast.

Even Kenny was shocked at the sight before him. His friends had run off, but somehow he could not tear his eyes from the small girl he had just shot.

He was only jolted out of his reverie when a red beam slammed into his shotgun. Seeing the blue-suited figure running toward him, he decided it was time to leave, until Scott grabbed him and pushed him toward Sam and Paige.

"Take a good look," Scott told him bitterly. As Kenny finally focused his eyes on Paige, they began to widen.

"Mah God …"

Looking at Paige, Scott's hidden eyes followed suit. "What …?"

Paige's skin was cracking, as though drying rapidly. As the cracks spread, she finally began to stir, moaning in anguish.

"Paige?" Sam asked, frightened and confused.

"Sam?!" Ellen had just awakened in time to see Paige's changing appearance. "What's happenin'?"

Sam had no answer.

Instead, Paige herself filled in everybody as she convulsed sharply.

"It … hurts … AAAAHHHHHH!!!!"

With that, the cracked skin seemed to shatter, replaced by a hard, rocklike surface. The embedded shotgun shells fell away.

Her family, the X men, and Kenny could only stare in astonishment. Though Paige's features remained, her skin was now hard rock, which was now opening a pair of eyelids.

"Sam? Ma?" she asked.

"Oh, Paige," Ellen cried, reaching out for her daughter.

"It … doesn't hurt anymore." The rocky lips curved into a smile as she pushed herself up and wrapped her arms around her surprised mother.

Edward, having woken only a few minutes before, limped towards the strange gathering. His eyes widened at the sight. "Paige?"

"Pa!" The little girl ran towards Edward and jumped into his arms, her usual energy level seemingly restored.

"Uhhh …" Edward was lost for words.

"Cat got yer tongue, Pa?" the rocky figure asked him.

Seeing Sam glare his way, Edward gave his best reply. "You look just like yer pet rock."

"It's igneous, Pa!" the transformed girl told him indignantly.

Edward finally managed a laugh. "That's my girl."

Groaning, Rogue crawled around the corner. Without opening her eyes, she blearily asked "What'd Ah miss?"

[

**Siberia**

In his command vehicle, Uzkhov noticed the gusts of wind picking up around them. As they started to buffet his vehicle. "It's the weather witch!" he shouted into the comm. "Increase the firing rate!"

At that moment, the cabin filled with sulphuric smoke. Coughing, he barely noticed the gun aimed towards his face. _The math mutant_ he realized, before he noticed the blue fuzzy mutant and a short, skinny brunette at the controls. With one wave of her hand, his entire system shorted out.

"Command vehicle is down," Mentac calmly reported into his own comm.

"Here, take a break," Bobby told an exhausted Vanguard as he put up his own ice shield against the barrage, which had suddenly become uncoordinated. Barely able to nod his thanks, Vanguard collapsed into the snow. As his wall crackled, Bobby grunted, wondering about his idea.

Jubilee, not one to be left out, threw all her energy and attention into creating the brightest display she could manage. Several squads gasped at the sight, before rubbing their eyes.

Concussion revelled in the moment as he hurled his force energy towards the squads of armoured vehicles. Above him, Darkstar called upon the dark energies at her command to hurl the tanks into one another and catch any missiles heading toward her group.

Quickly, she took a glance around. The first tank group was in ruins, and the second group was already under heavy fire from the two mutant teams. _They underestimated us._

Suddenly, a cluster exploded at her back, knocking her to the ground. _Not again_ she thought. As she lay in the snow, she noticed another cluster heading directly at her. _At least I go down fighting_.

As the missiles exploded against the snowy surface, Darksar realized she felt nothing. _So this is what death feels like_ she mused, before opening her eyes and realizing the young brunette, Shadowcat, was phasing her body and dragging her toward the group.

Looking toward the source of the new missiles, Garnoff realized that their attackers had sent in reinforcements.

A lot of reinforcements.

The sky was now filling up with helicopters, adding their own barrage of missiles to the second group's. They were surrounded yet again, and the ice shield was already starting to crack.

"We cannot hold out against this," he told Ororo grimly.

"We're past surrendering now," she grunted, directing her lightning against the helicopters.

As the beleaguered mutants continued to fight, a dark presence watched through Darkstar's incomplete portals, determined not to intervene. _They've already lost_. Suddenly, she felt a new consciousness awaken out there. _No …_

Opening his eyes, Piotr first thought that he had descended into hell with his friends. As he noticed the cold entering his bones, his mind cleared. _Not yet, but we are not far_.

"Peter!" yelped Kitty, dragging Darkstar toward the group before running over to him.

"Wh-what's happening?" he asked.

"Some jerks, like, crashed the party," she answered, before a missile landed near them.

"Katya!" he shouted, seeing her lie unconscious; she had been unprepared for the blast.

Growling, Piotr ran over to the nearest launcher, ripped the turret from its housing, and hurled it toward the choppers.

"Look out!" a pilot shouted before the turret slammed into their cockpit.

Bobby groaned as the last of his ice wall fell away, one chunk slamming into him. They were wide open now

Grabbing another piece of wreckage, Piotr prepared for another throw when another missile slammed into his back, knocking him to the snow.

As Piotr fell, the watching darkness decided she could not sit still anymore. Pushing at the portals with the powers she had picked up in her years in the dark place, she increased the portal's size. Pausing only to call on the realm's deadly inhabitants, she drew her sword and stepped through.

--------------------

The Russian troops barely had a chance to recoil in surprise at the new force before it set upon them. Even the X men and Exiles could barely describe the brutality that occurred before them.

"Goddess" Ororo murmured as she watched a young woman in dark, horned armour appear next to a nearby tank and slice her sword clean through it, beheading the operators, before a pack of serpentlike creatures descended upon it.

Above them, a group of winged creatures swarmed the squads of choppers, smashing every moving part, man or machine, inside them.

With brutal efficiency, a group of demons descended upon the armoured cars, smashing everything in their path.

"Oh no." Kurt murmured. _Those demons ... they're from the dimension I teleport through!_

In a matter of minutes, every vehicle in sight had been reduced to smouldering shards, and only a handful of Russian troops were left alive.

One smaller group of demons cast their hungry gazes toward the huddled group of mutants. Unsatisfied by their latest slaughter, they began to approach the small band, with the rest of the horde following.

"Back!" shouted the woman, reaching her hand toward them. Instantly, the creatures lifted into the air and flew into the portal.

Without another look at the mutants, the woman ran toward Piotr, who had just recovered from the missile blast. "Piotr?"

Groaning Piotr turned his head toward the unfamiliar voice. Standing over him was a young woman dressed in mystical armour, wielding a sword taller than her.

At the sight, Piotr's heart stopped. Though this child looked like nobody he had ever met, something about her resounded within his memories.

"Illyana?"

--------------------

Within a few hours, the two teams had gathered their injured and fled the site of the battle, or massacre, as Ororo insisted on describing it.

"Call it what you want, lady; we got you out alive," Illyana told Ororo, her arms crossed as she scowled at the weather goddess.

"Getting away from those soldiers would have been enough; did you have to dismember every last soldier?" Kurt asked; he was positive the scene would be giving him nightmares for some time.

"Sometimes, we don't get to pick, blue demon," Illyana smartly responded, earning nods from several Exiles.

"We are not your demon-eat-demon dimension, child!" Ororo shouted. "We play by different rules here. One of them involves trying to save lives."

Illyana just scoffed. Frustrated, Ororo threw up her hands, along with several blizzards at a distance, and walked toward the gathered group of Exiles.

"Are you still planning to assault the other prison?" she asked bluntly.

Garnoff shook his head. "We are in no shape for an assault now."

"What about him?" Ororo asked, gesturing to a bound and gagged Uzkhov, who Mentac had dragged back to the group after the battle was over.

"He will be released, I give my word," Garnoff answered flatly as he dragged Uzkhov towards Darkstar's growing portal.

"When?" Ororo demanded.

"You will know when," was all Garnoff would say before he entered the portal.

Illyana looked over at her older brother. "How do you put up with her?" Piotr did not respond. "Piotr?"

Piotr finally willed himself to look into his sister's eyes. "What happened to you?" he whispered.

"I got left behind, that's what happened, giant!" Illyana's face, and sword, had taken on a darker tone. "First, you leave me behind with those sick freaks calling themselves are government," she waved a hand at the captive Uzkhov, "then that lady leaves me in the Darkworld with those beasts!" Illyana clutched her sword tighter at the memory of her first years in that place. "I had to survive somehow."

"Did you?" Piotr asked flatly.

Illyana growled. "This is the thanks I get? Well, nice knowing you, metal man."

"I'm serious." Piotr reached out and grabbed Illyana's hand. Even as she brought her sword up toward his throat, Piotr went on. "I only heard of your capture yesterday. I came to find my little sister." He ran his eyes over the girl. "But I am not sure I see her here."

"Let go, or I test your metal skin." Illyana snarled.

"Then do it." Piotr told her, staring at her directly as he phased out of his metal form.

Seeing, this, Kitty and Ororo leapt to their feet, ready to step in, when Kurt laid a hand on their arms. "Vait just a second."

"Are you nuts?" Kitty asked him.

"She hasn't killed him yet." Kurt responded.

Staring at her brother, the gentle giant who had been such a big part of her life before the Darkworld had claimed her, Illyana screamed in fury and thrust her sword forward.

Into the snow next to Piotr's feet.

Instead, Illyana began beating her fists against Piotr's chest. "I hate you! You left me again! You …!" Illyana could not say another word as Piotr trapped her in a tight hug; she could only sob uncontrollably at the memories of what she'd lost.

"I am still here, little one," he told her.

"I'm not little," she mumbled.

Kurt flashed a grin at the two ladies. "You zee?"

Kitty couldn't help but grin at the scene. Ororo, still maintaining her cold expression, walked over to the pair.

"Peter," she spoke up, drawing the glance and the angry glare of Piotr and Illyana respectively. Ignoring Illyana, Ororo continued. "We still have your parents to find."

"Oh, Mom and Dad?" Illyana put in. She waved a hand. "They're all right."

"You found them?" Piotr asked.

"_Da_; they were at the Siberian prison." She scowled. "They didn't recognize me at all."

Piotr's heart dropped another foot. "Would … would you like to …?"

"Save it, giant." Illyana coldly stated as she got up and walked away from the group. Looking back, she added "Like you said, I play by different rules now."

Piotr could only watch sadly as he watched the child that used to be his sister gesture, calling up a dark portal about her size.

Suddenly, he thought of something he had to ask her. "Illyana!" he shouted.

"What?" she snapped, about to step through the portal.

"Where did you send our parents?"

The slightest hint of a smile appeared on her face. "I sent them to visit _you_." she replied before stepping through the portal.

"Oh, _blei_."

[

**Xavier Institute, Bayville, New York, U.S.A**

"Where the hell did you two come from?" Logan snarled as the Rasputins appeared before him.

"Uh, uh, … our daughter sent us here, sh-she told us Piotr would be here."

Logan's eyes narrowed further, only now out of confusion. _Did I miss something? _

"Logan!" As Jean entered the room, she gave him a glare that he knew too well, and retracted his claws. Turning towards the frightened parent, she continued. "Sorry about that; we've had a hard day …"

"Who are you people? Where is Piotr?" Nikolai demanded.

"Well …" Jean began, a bit off guard herself.

"He's in Russia, Mr. Rasputin." Xavier stated as he wheeled in. "He's looking for you right now."

"What? I thought he'd be here!" Natalya cried.

Xavier took a deep breath, preparing for what promised to be a long explanation.

_Strange lives we lead_.

[

**Kentucky, U.S.A**

Down south, another group of X men attempted to deal with the latest events their strange lives had brought them to.

Hank and Rogue were both lying down in the back of the Velocity, recovering from their injuries. Rogue still had a slight concussion from her encounter with the mob, which was not helped by the memories she had absorbed from the sheriff.

Hank was in equally bad shape, having taken a laser to the shoulder and then a shotgun blast to his leg. However, that did not stop him from attempting to guide Amara through extracting the shells from his legs.

"Ugghh, why can't I just burn them all?" asked an exasperated Amara after she dropped the shell again.

"Now, now, Firegirl," Hank chided. "I hardly need melted lead swimming through my bloodstream, do I?"

Amara paled slightly before nodding and continuing her work.

"OW! I don't think that was a shell."

"Sorry!"

At that moment, the rest of the team, along with Sam's family and a few other visitors filed in.

"Ye don' hafta run off, y'know," Rochelle was telling the Guthries. "Y'all can stay at mah place 'till ye get yer house fixed."

"Thanks Rochelle," Ellen said sincerely. Rubbing her bandaged head, she continued "But Ah don't think Ah could ever look at this town again after what they did t'us."

Her mind flashing back to images of her customers mobbing young Rogue, and the Guthrie home in ruins, Rochelle gave her a sympathetic nod. "Just don't be strangers, then, y'hear? Mah place is always open." As she finished, she wandered over to Rogue. "How y'feelin', child?"

"Lahke crap," Rogue grumbled without raising her eyes.

Rochelle's heart went out to the girl. "Y'know, that Sheriff may have been a real fool today, but, given time…"

"Y'don't get it," Rogue snapped. Glaring at Rochelle, she pointed at her own temple. "He's in mah head now; Ah have his thoughts, and they're telling me to shoot any mutant in sight."

"Dear …"

"People like that don't change," Rogue snarled. Lying back, she stared at the ceiling. "Why would they, anyway?" she mumbled bitterly.

Rochelle gazed sadly at the depressed young adult, then silently scribbled a note on the package in her hand and dropped it in Rogue's lap.

"So what will you do now?" Scott asked Edward and Ellen.

"We'll find a new home somewhere; hopefully, where all this" he waved a hand at the wreckage "doesn't matter."

Scott's expression tightened; he knew as well as they did that that would be a long search.

"What about Paige?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

Edward and Ellen exchanged a look. "Well," Ellen began, "We owe you people a lot, and we know you wanna help her, but …"

"She's still a little girl" Edward finished. "And we'd like her to stay that way for now."

Both parents were surprised to see Scott simply nod without a sign of disappointment or anger. "All right. But you know how to reach us if you ever need any help …"

The Guthries smiled in thanks. "Say, where are the kids, anyway?" Edward suddenly asked.

--------------------

"ROCK AND ROLL, PAIGE!" Tabitha laughed. Screaming with laughter herself, Paige hurled her borrowed firebomb towards the hill, still in her rock form. Grinning wickedly, Tabitha drew her own tiny firebomb.

"Hey!" Sam, having just arrived, clamped his hand over Tabitha's, attempting to wrestle the bomb from her hands.

"Sam, no, NO!"

BOOM!!

Paige ceased her roll in time to spot Sam and Tabitha glaring at each other with ash-covered faces. Scrambling to her feet, she skipped over to the pair.

"Are y'all okay?"

"Yeah" they both responded. For some reason, despite their death-glare contest, neither had let go of the other's hand. Paige took another look.

"Sam? Ya gonna kiss her already or what?"

_That _caught their attention. Tabitha could only scoff and stride off toward the Velocity. Sam simply blushed and gave Paige a hard stare, stated, "Just don't use that word 'round her again," and followed Tabitha toward the Velocity.

Paige shook her head. "Now Ah _really _don' wanna grow up."

--------------------

A few minutes later, while Edward and Ellen tried to figure out why their son and one of his teammates were covered in dirt, Paige made her way into the Velocity to say some goodbyes of her own.

"Well, hello there Paige; I hope you're my new surgeon; our volcano princess here can't seem to sew a stitch."

"It was my first time!" Amara yelled from the cockpit.

Hank grinned weakly at the young girl before him, who only looked at him, sadness on her rocky face.

"Are ya leavin' already?" she asked.

Hank sighed. "I'm afraid so; it appears I am needed back at my home."

"Oh." The young mutant fell silent as she looked at the floor, then at him.

"Was there something you wanted to ask me?" Hank prodded gently.

"Well … ya know everything about mutants, right?"

Hank's face fell as he realized where this was going. "Uh, I've been studying them for a few years, but …"

"Can ye tell me how to turn it off?" Paige blurted out. "I don' wanna wear this skin anymore."

Hank rubbed his eyes as he struggled to find a way to tell Paige what she faced. Though many teachers had commended his ability to handle children back when he was simply Mr. McCoy, he had never taken the next step of having his own kids. _How do I tell her …?_

"Well, Paige, uh, learning to control our mutant powers are, sort of like, uh, learning to walk or ride a bicycle." Seeing Paige's confused expression, he went on. "You'll make some mistakes, and pick up some bumps and scrapes along the way. _But_," he emphasized, "you must be patient. Trust me, eventually you'll be a natural at switching skins."

Paige, though still sobered, reached out and wrapped her arms around Beast's neck. "G'bye, Beast."

Hank hugged her in return. "Goodbye, young Paige." Looking toward the doorway, he added "Oh, I believe your parents are waiting."

Looking back, Paige noticed Edward and Ellen waiting in the corner. Immediately she ran over and grabbed her mother in a tight embrace she could barely feel.

Looking over at the blue mutant, Edward struggled with what to say to the man, then settled on offering his hand. "Thanks, Mr. McCoy. Fer everyt'ing."

Hank simply reached out and shook the man's hand.

"We're almost ready to go." Scott quietly put in from the doorway, where he stood next to Sam.

"Y'sure y'don't wan' me t'help you guys out?" Sam asked quietly. "Y'know, 'till yer settled an all …"

"Thanks, Sam" Edward said warmly. Placing a hand on his son's shoulder, he continued. "But Ah reckon you got your own work cut out fer ya back with th'team."

Sam just nodded, his face unreadable. "Well, ya know how to reach me …"

"Sam." Ellen put in, taking his hand. "We're both proud of you."

"Y'know that, right?" Edward asked.

Sam shrugged, a half-smile starting to appear. "Ah was startin' t'wonder …"

After the laughs and embraces that followed, the Guthries finally parted with the team that had been drawn to them by simple family ties. As the chopper lifted off the ground, three solitary figures watched, their remaining possessions packed in the van loaned by Rochelle, their home lying in ruins, themselves gathered close together despite all the carnage.

After a few minutes, Rogue decided to open the package Rochelle left her. Inside was a packet of seeds. Frowning, Rogue read the card.

_They take time and effort to grow, child, but, in the end, they make the most beautiful sight on the face of this planet._

[

**Xavier Institute, Bayville, New York**

"Right" Xavier told the phone. "I'll see you all soon, Scott."

"Are they all right?" came Ororo's voice from the doorway.

Xavier looked up to see the weather goddess leaning against the doorjamb, her expression haggard. "Ororo, you really should be resting."

"Walking around seemed easier," Ororo replied as she eased herself onto the nearby sofa.

"Nightmares again?" he asked as he wheeled over to make some tea.

"Memories," she replied, her expression downcast.

"Siberia," he guessed.

Ororo shook her head. "It's enough to make an insomniac out of all of us."

"I hope not," Xavier replied as he set out two mugs. "I fear the weather forecast if you became sick."

Ororo snorted. "That's a lot riding on me and my moods."

"Every gift has a downside," After a moment of silence, he asked "How is Peter?"

"Coping." Upon returning to the mansion, Piotr had taken it upon himself to tell his parents that Illyana was lost to them, perhaps forever. "Kitty is with them now; Peter neglected to mention the shrapnel still embedded in him." She sighed as her thoughts turned to the crowded infirmary. "Most of us took a beating today."

"Whatever beatings you took, I'm just glad to see you all alive," Xavier replied, filling Ororo's mug and holding it out to her. Jenkins had been speechless when Xavier had called in and put one of the 'dead mutants' on the line. He could only imagine the chat she was having with the Russian ministry.

"It was close," Ororo murmured, accepting the mug from Xavier and taking a slow sip.

"Yes. And all for the most cruel of misconceptions," Xavier muttered.

"What do you mean?" Ororo asked, sitting up slightly.

Xavier sighed. "I checked Cerebro's logs after you told me what happened; as far as I can tell, the only mutant powers present at that battle belonged to you and the Exiles."

"Another omega-level mutant?" Ororo asked, her expression darkening as she thought of Apocalypse.

"No; even Apocalypse appeared on Cerebro's logs whenever he used his powers in our time; Illyana never showed up at all."

"I don't understand …"

"Her powers must have come from another source, not from an X-gene. She was never a mutant at all; her powers only appeared after she disappeared into Darkstar's portal."

"Goddess…" Ororo looked down, then stared out the window, as though searching for something. A human child, picked up and snatched on a whim … "This is what we face here, isn't it?"

Before Xavier could answer, the telephone rang. "Excuse me," he told Ororo as he reached for the receiver.

"All right, you wanna explain why _your _sneakin' out of bed now?" growled Logan as he appeared in the doorway.

"I needed to take a walk," Ororo calmly replied as she stretched her limbs. Since the team had returned, Logan had taken it upon himself to make sure they all got their injuries checked out. "Are you going to drag me back now?" she asked teasingly.

"Don't make me," Logan grunted somewhat awkwardly as Xavier finished speaking and hung up the phone.

"That was Ms. Trilby; she said I should turn on CNN," Xavier said, his brow furrowed in confusion.

Grabbing the remote on the desk, Logan grumbled "She best not be trying to bump her ratings, 'cause …" he trailed off as he noticed the scarred face appear on the screen.

"The soldier …" Ororo breathed as Logan turned up the volume.

"**I am Major Ivan Uzkhov. For many years, long before mutants went public, I was trained as head of my government's Counter-Terrorist mutant section. As per my duties, I set up a network of agents to identify and locate any and all mutants in Russia."**

"**What happens to the mutants once they are located?" **asked the offscreen reporter.

"**I am not briefed on those matters; however, I do know that my government has been building camps especially designed to contain mutants, and others for their close associates."**

"**Close associates?"**

"**Family members, close friends, and anyone who would willingly ****harbour**** them."**

"This is bull," snorted Logan. "I've never known a Russkie soldier to go to the news; especially if he's in black ops."

"Except we left him with a mutant that was able to bend all of us to his will" murmured Ororo.

"**Can you tell me anything about your most recent actions?"**

"**Recently my team was directed to hunt down an underground mutant cell known as the Exiles. In addition, we were ordered to contain a group of Xavier's X men once they arrived."**

"**Why?"**

Uzkhov shrugged. "**My superiors did not say."**

Logan smirked. "I'll be damned; somebody's getting something done."

"Perhaps." Xavier replied, frowning. "Or he may be making things worse for everyone.'

"Drawing lines in the sand ..." Ororo murmured, her face hard.

"**Have you any idea how many have been … contained, as you put it?"**

"**Not sure. Thousands, so far. It's still early."**

**[**

**Author's Note**

Good evening dear readers, and Merry Christmas to all! Sorry for the fluctuating update schedule; I have a bad habit of letting my life completely screw up my writing schedule. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this story; a bit longer than most, but I fear there will be more to come, lol.

Back to business: I own nothing related to the cartoon or marvel, will sell nothing, yada yada … And, coming up, in short, will be the final week of Mayor Kelly's Senate campaign, where the night will reach its darkest point, old familiar faces will reemerge from the shadows, and the team will never be the same again. Enjoy the story, please review, and have a good night!


	5. Power to the People

**Previously, on X Men Evolution**_\_

"_I have a responsibility to keep the 'normal' students out of harms way!" Kelly snapped at Jean._

"_Goodbye, Auntie O," Evan stated flatly as he walked away into the mist._

"_As candidate for mayor, I want to ask you one question: do you feel safe?" Kelly asked the camera._

"_My boy's been exposed as a mutant! What chance does he have for a normal life now?!" Mrs Leech screamed at Evan._

"_Sorry, Aunti O. But this? This isn't over," Evan told Ororo as he hoisted the mining laser. "And you guys don't need me. Not like they do," he finished, looking at the Morlocks._

"_Therefore, I am declaring my candidacy for the United States Senate!" Kelly announced._

_Ororo glared at Scott, the skies darkening with her expression. _

"_No one seems to understand ..." she whispered to Logan._

"_These problems will not go away until these mistakes of nature are properly dealt with!"_

[

"**The war of words has been heating up as Mayor Kelly's campaign for the U.S. Senate enters its final week. At this point, the outcome is far from certain, as, according to the latest polls, current Senator Cameron Hodge still has a strong hold over the citizenry that first elected him to office."**

"**One of the most prominent issues has been termed 'the mutant issue,' in which the two leading candidates remain at opposite ends. In fact it has been said that this election could very well decide the place of mutants in New York …"**

Mrs. Leech quickly turned away from the television. _This can't be happening!_ Since Dorian had been exposed as a mutant, both of them had become outcasts in their own neighbourhood once the word spread. The school had expelled Dorian, claiming he was 'a danger to fellow classmates.' Her best friends had turned away from her, one of them saying to her face that she didn't want to be seen anywhere near the freak or its caretaker. So much for the 'normal life' she'd always wanted for Dorian.

_It's not fair!_ She and her ex-husband were both fully human; why did Dorian have to be born this way, doomed to be cast out along with her? Yet again, she seriously considered taking that Professor Xavier up on his offer. Perhaps Dorian would be safe then?

_No_. Xavier's mansion was hardly safe, given that it had been blown up a few years ago and was attacked within the last month. Besides, as a mother, she wouldn't think of placing Dorian among those X men, not when Xavier was sending them into fights with mutants like Apocalypse or mobs like the FOH. Why couldn't mutants simply live a quiet, normal life?

For the first time in months, Mrs. Leech felt ready to cry.

"Mom?"

Mrs. Leech looked toward the stairs, where Dorian was standing, still clad in pajamas. Though years older than he had been when his mutant powers had first manifested, Dorian had changed little. Even as a twelve-year old, he remained the curious, shy, and gentle kid he had been since he could speak.

_Why can't anybody see that?_ she silently raged. _Just because his skin's green?!_

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" she called out, forcing an even tone into her voice. Dorian didn't need to deal with her thoughts right now.

Dorian wasn't fooled, however. As he came over and sat in his chair, he looked inquisitively at his mother.

"Are you sad, mom?"

"No." she lied. "Just … having a hard time with work." Being a single mother with a child shunned by daycares and babysitters alike, Mrs. Leech could neither afford to work away from home nor stay at home. Instead, she worked from home, handling others accounting over the Internet.

Dorian glanced at his mother's laptop; she hadn't even turned it on. Then he glanced at the television, which continued to blast the same message as it had since she'd turned it on.

Mrs. Leech cursed herself for leaving it on.

"Is it the news?" Dorian asked.

Mrs. Leech sighed. _The price of having a smart child._ "Yes" she admitted.

Dorian looked over at the television as Mayor Kelly appeared again, beginning another rail against mutants. "Is he really going to lock us all away?" he asked, his eyes widening as they always did when he got nervous.

"Hey." Knowing who Dorian was referring to, Mrs Leech got up, walked over to Dorian, and kneeled next to his chair while placing a hand on his shoulder. "No one is locking you away, got it?" He nodded uncertainly. "Not on my watch," she added, pulling him into a tight hug.

Dorian rested his head against his mother's shoulder. He'd always felt safer with his mother around. _We'll be all right._

Then he glanced out the window. "Who are those people?"

[

**Xavier Institute**

"Any news?" Xavier asked as he wheeled into the crowded rec room.

"The last debate's about to start." Scott answered.

"And, of course, we can already see where it's going" added Hank, rubbing his leg.

"**Mayor Kelly! Any preliminary comments before the debate?"**

"**I only ask that, when the people of New York come to the polls next week, they remember the threats we face, and realize what needs to be done about them."**

[

**Leech Home**

"Get down!" Mrs Leech screamed, pulling Dorian to the floor as the first rock flew through her window. Already, the screams could be heard outside.

"Mutie!"

"Let's get 'em!"

"Burn the place down!"

As the shouts came closer, rocks continued to fly. Wrapping her arms around Dorian, Mrs Leech ran out of the living room, shielding Dorian with her own body.

Mrs Leech thought frantically; she needed help, but she couldn't count on the police; the last time she had reported a break-in they hadn't arrived for hours. That left her with the number she had been hoping not to call.

[

**Xavier Institute**

"Oh, booo!" yelled Jamie, splitting into his clones to add to the volume, much to Ray and Rahne's discomfort.

"Hey!"

"Watch it James!"

"**Senator Hodge; any response?"**

"**A bit ahead of ourselves, aren't we?" joked the aged statesman. "But seriously, since you asked: I believe the real threat we face is our own bigotry, our own unthinking fears. They've driven our race to all-out war many times in our past. It's time we stopped that trend and learned to live with one another"**

"How come we never heard o' this guy?" Rogue wondered.

"I'm not sure," Xavier admitted. The long-standing senator had been fairly quiet about his attitude toward mutants until shortly after Kelly's announcement. Given how risky it now was to speak in favour of mutants, Hodge's stand was surprising. _Though not unwelcome_, Xavier reminded himself.

At that moment, Xavier's phone rang. Promptly wheeling away from the students and picking it up, he answered "Xavier Institute."

"Xavier!"

"Mrs. Leech? What's wrong?" Xavier asked, noticing the desperate tone in her voice.

"Xavier, they're outside … they're after Dorian … I don't know what to do …"

"Hold on, I'm sending a team over right away," he told her firmly.

"NO!" she cried.

"Mrs Leech? Mrs Leech!" Xavier's calls were useless, as the line had already gone dead.

[

**Leech Home**

"NO!" Mrs. Leech screamed as a man appeared in her living room and roughly grabbed Dorian.

"Here he is!" he called out, leering at the terrified Dorian. "You shoulda got outta town like we told you, mutie," he snarled.

"Leave him alone!" The man turned just in time to blink before the chair smashed into his face.

Panting, Mrs. Leech dropped the broken chair and grabbed Dorian, running for the hallway. _Maybe the fire escape …_

"Easy lady." Whipping around, Mrs Leech pushed Dorian behind her back as another man hopped through her window, pistol in hand. "We don't want trouble; we just want the freak."

"HE'S A CHILD, YOU MONSTER!!!" Mrs Leech screamed, backing away.

"Come on, lady, just step outta the way. Don't make me do this!" Eric Farms told her. No normal people would be harmed on his watch.

"GET OUT!" Mrs Leech shouted, death in her eyes.

"Have it your way." With that, Eric reached out, grabbed Mrs Leech's hair, and shoved her to the side.

"Mom!" Dorian cried. Before he could run over to her, Eric reached out and grabbed him by the shirt. Struggling futilely against the grip, Dorian could only stare at the man and his gun, pleading with his eyes.

"Sorry kid," Eric muttered, cocking the gun. "Gotta look out for my kids."

Suddenly, Mrs Leech crashed into him, grabbing at the gun.

"DORIAN, RUN!" she screamed as somebody began tossing flaming bits of cloth through their window.

Knowing his mother only raised her voice when she meant it, Dorian instinctively ran towards the only open exit.

As he burst out into the hallway and ran towards the stairs, he immediately realized his exits were closing off.

"There he is! We got 'im!" shouted the woman at the head of the group that blocked the stairwell.

Whimpering, Dorian ran the other way.

"There he goes!"

"Don't let him get away!"

Dorian finally reached the window and pushed, grunting with the effort. As the window finally cracked, he felt hands roughly grab his shoulders.

[

**Xavier Institute**

"**My position is simple, Senator,"** Kelly stated from his podium. "**As long as we share our streets with beings that can shut down our power, alter our weather patterns, or even peer into our very minds, we can never be truly safe."** A chorus of agreements rose from the crowd gathered on his side. "**We must protect ourselves, and that means putting the mutants under control."**

"Kurt!" Xavier snapped, rolling toward the room. "There's a mob at the Leech home; we're needed there immediately!"

"Understood!" Kurt replied, hopping off the couch.

"Take Jean and Colossus with you … where's Storm?" he inquired.

"In the Danger Room with Logan" Rogue called out.

Xavier sighed. "Go now," he ordered the team, which was already vanishing in a puff of sulphuric smoke.

Closing his eyes, Xavier reached his mind out. _Storm?_ After a second without response, he tried again. _Storm, where are you?_

_Right here, Charles_ Ororo responded, somewhat distractedly.

_There is a fire at the Leech home; we need you there immediately._

_We're on the way_ she responded smartly.

"Cyclops, Beast, get to the Velocity; you and Logan will back them up."

[

**Leech Home**

"No!" Dorian cried, struggling against the stranger's grip.

"Going somewhere, mutie?" the man glared. So, they came this young, too. Oh well; one less mutie for Graydon to worry about.

"Put him down."

Glancing down the hall, Graydon spotted a burnt and bloodied Mrs Leech, Eric Farms' gun in hand.

"Mom!" Dorian cried, shocked at the sight. Graydon's eyebrows raised slightly

"So, you're the slut that spawned this freak?" he mused.

"Put. Him. Down," Mrs Leech repeated, raising the gun.

"If you insist."

With that, in one swift movement, Graydon extended his arms and let go, casting Dorian out the window.

"NO!!" Having dropped the pistol, Mrs Leech was already racing to catch her son, only to receive a blow to the head by Creed.

"OK boys," he called out. "Let's show this one how we take care of the mutant menace."

[

**Across Town**

"Can't we go any faster, Kurt?" Jean asked as they appeared on top of an empty rooftop, yet another step in their teleportal-hop across the city.

"I'm going as fast as I can; man, she had to live 20 miles away!"

"Just keep moving!"

[

**Leech Home**

"That's it!" grinned Graydon as he fired another kick into Mrs. Leech's ribs. "Keep at it!"

"Noo …" moaned a beaten Mrs. Leech. "Dorian …"

"HEY!" Startled, the foot soldiers for FOH looked back toward the source of the shout.

"More muties!" growled Graydon. "Get them!"

Glaring back at the charging thugs, Jean reached out with her hands and mind, and pushed at the men's feet.

"Hey!" snarled Graydon as he rolled into the wall. "You people _are_ a menace!"

"We're not burning the building down." Jean coldly retorted.

From the stairs came reinforcements. Shifting to his metal form, Piotr planted himself in their path.

As the first armed thug came near, Piotr reached out, grabbed an arm and leg, and tossed him back down the hallway, toppling the rest of the crowd.

As Graydon struggled to his feet and drew a knife, Jean sighed and reached out again, plucking the knife from his hand and shoving it into the wall. Surprised, Graydon glared at Jean just in time to receive another telekinetic shove.

Within minutes, only the X men remained on their feet; every FOH lay on the floor, groaning in pain.

They were not the worst off.

"Jean!" Kurt shouted, kneeling next to Mrs Leech. "She's not breathing!"

Forgetting about the thugs, Jean knelt by Mrs Leech, checking her vital signs.

"Kurt, she's going into shock!" _Professor, Mrs Leech is hurt bad, where's the nearest hospital? _she desperately called out.

The reply was swift. _None nearby, but Beast's team should be right outside_.

Sure enough, the Velocity was hovering outside at that very moment.

"Kurt, get us in there!" Jean shouted. Nodding quickly, Kurt grabbed the two women and ported them into the X Jet, while Ororo flew outside and began pelting the building with rain, dousing the flames.

"Jean, help me with her," Hank ordered, indicating the gurney he had set up. After the fight against Apocalypse, Xavier had decided that each vehicle should have its own supply of medical equipment, for just such emergencies.

"Mrs Leech," Jean urged as she helped Hank with the straps. "You have to help us. We need you to stay awake."

"Dorian …" Mrs Leech moaned.

"I'll find him!" Kurt stated as he ported away.

Appearing next to Piotr, who had just finished piling the thugs against the wall, Kurt stepped forward and grabbed the man he remembered shouting at them and pulling a knife on Jean.

"All right, creep! Vhat did you do with zhe kid?" he snapped.

"Go to hell!" Graydon spat. Kurt glanced at Piotr, who nodded, raised a foot, and began pressing down on the man's kneecap.

"Vhere is he?!" Kurt snarled as Graydon screamed in pain.

"He's in the trash, where he belongs!"

[

"**I would ask the Mayor, and all of you out there: how safe will can any of us ever be when our government has the power to lock any of us away, without trial, without due process, simply because of our genes?"**

Dorian finally crawled out of the trash bags he had fallen into. Glancing around, he began racing out towards the nearest street.

_Dorian, run!_ his mother had ordered him.

So he did.

[

"**Those 'genes', Senator, give those mutants the power to bring down our buildings, absorb our life forces, and God knows what else. In fact, it's been only 3 years since one of them tried to wipe ****us all out! I ask you, Senator, what reasonable citizen should not be afraid of such 'differences'?"**

"Pulse is dropping … Jean, she's not helping us here!" Hank yelled as he checked the instruments.

_Mrs Leech, can you hear me?_ Jean called out, searching for a spark of life.

_Dorian …_ her mind seemed to moan.

_Mrs Leech, he needs you. Dammit, don't give up on him!_

"She's fibrillating!" Hank shouted, grabbing at the nearby paddles.

_Mrs Leech? MRS LEECH!_

Mrs Leech's mind would not say any more.

[

"**Mr. Mayor, the fact is that mutants exist alongside us. They are born from our wombs, they breathe our air; they look out for their loved ones' futures; and, they're all mortal."**

"DORIAN!" Kurt called out. "DORIAN LEECH?!" Noting the disturbed pile of trash bags, he hurried out of the alley's only exit.

The streets were empty. Dorian was gone.

[

"**Whether we like it or not, we live in a new world now; alongside humans born with fearsome powers. To the people of New York, I ask you this: do you want a chance to live in peace alongside them, or would you condemn yourselves to a future of endless fighting borne out of oppression and hatred? I promise you, it will be our children that suffer from such a choice."**

"Clear!" Hank shouted, pushing the paddles against Mrs Leech's chest.

Though her body twitched for the third time, the erratic pattern on the display went unchanged.

_Mrs Leech! Come back to us! Dorian is still out there! _Jean shouted mentally.

Finally, Jean caught the slightest response.

_He's gone …_ Mrs Leech moaned weakly, and went silent.

Suddenly, the monitor ceased its erratic pattern and went flat.

_NO! _

Hank, having charged the paddles for another attempt, now lowered them in defeat. He knew what that reading meant.

_MRS LEECH! MRS LEECH!_ Jean persisted.

"Jean." Hank placed a hand on each of her shoulders. "She's gone."

"No …"

"I'm sorry," Hank shook his head sadly. "There's nothing we can do."

In all her years with her powers, Jean had never so desperately wanted to lash out, push people away, crush everything around her, hell, get the whole damn world out of her face …

Instead, she settled for clutching Hank's shoulders and sobbing into his chest. Hank himself couldn't help shedding a few tears as he looked at his latest patient.

In the cockpit, Scott struggled to keep his face and voice steady as he reported to Xavier. Next to him, Logan growled, itching to tear into something.

At the Institute, Xavier's face fell as he heard the news, then hardened as he prepared to tell his students.

In the street, Dorian faithfully kept running, oblivious to his mother's fate.

Kelly and Hodge left their podiums, equally oblivious.

The flatline signal continued.

[

**Leech Home**

Hours later, the police and fire brigade arrived, only to find that most of their work had been done for them.

The fire had been put out by Ororo's rainstorm, Hank and Logan had already lined up all the FOH members that had stayed behind, and Mrs Leech's body was already on its way to the medical examiner's office.

Then, of course, came the second wave.

"Excuse me, officer, can you tell me what happened here?"

"No comment," grunted Sergeant Waters, casting a baleful glance at the two X men before sauntering off. Rolling her eyes, Trish Trilby turned her focus to the two men.

"Excuse me; anything you want to say?" she asked, keeping her tone even.

"Nope," grunted the smaller man, scratching his back with one of the steel claws protruding from his knuckles. "Write your own story."

Unfazed, Trish turned to the other, larger mutant. "How about you?"

The blue-furred man narrowed his eyes, but then spoke to her directly. "A mob attacked a mutant's home. Again. It was not the first, and it won't be the last." Pausing, he added, "And this time, in case anyone's interested, they killed his human mother."

[

**Kelly Campaign Headquarters**

"Dammit!" Kelly cursed, muting the television. Next to him, his campaign manager, Sharon Oaks, looked up from her documents and shook her head.

"Great; now they're killing normal humans too." Leaning back, she took a few seconds to choose her words. "Mr Mayor, you realize what will happen if we even appear to back these …"

"I'm not backing them at all!" Kelly shouted, throwing his hands up in frustration. _Why can't those idiots stay off the street, at least for the rest of the week?_

"I know that." Sighing to herself, Sharon wondered if Kelly could ever be managed, especially when mutants were involved. "But it might help if we backed off just a little …"

"No!" Kelly vehemently shook his head. "We didn't beat that Brotherhood hero-scam by 'backing off.'"

Sharon cocked her head. "You're not going to try and say the mutants are behind these riots?" _If he is, he can run his own damn campaign_.

"No." Kelly shook his head, much to Sharon's relief. Pacing the room, Kelly tried to collect his thoughts. "We just have to show the people who the real danger is."

[

**Sewer Tunnels**

"**Only hours ago, this downtown apartment building became the site of the latest attack by the anti-mutant group FOH. In this case however, it was the mutant's mother who was killed, while the targeted mutant, Dorian Leech, is still missing …"**

SNIKT

"Don't even think about it, Spyke," Callisto told the former X man. Instead, Evan hurled his spikes at the nearest wall.

"Will you haaaave to desssstroy our entire camp before you are ssssssatisfied?" grunted Caliban.

"I can't believe you guys!" Evan snapped. "Mutants are being mobbed, that jerk Kelly is running for office, and we're supposed to sit down here and watch TV."

"The toooopsiders' sssstrugglesssss are not our concern," growled Caliban.

"Besides we have our own problems to handle down here," Callisto put in. "We're still short of food. We can't take on the topsiders right now."

Evan could only growl in frustration before running off down the nearest tunnel.

"He does that tooo ooofftennn," muttered Caliban.

Callisto sighed. Since the battle against Apocalypse, Evan had insisted on returning to the Morlocks; he had known from the beginning that the anti-mutant riots would only get worse. Over the years, however, he had been spending more and more time on his own. Though he usually brought supplies back with him, such as the small TV they had just installed, Callisto had little doubt that he spent much of that time topside looking for mutants to protect. "He's still very much an X-Man."

"Thaaat iss whhyyyy we cannnnot trrrussst him," hissed Caliban.

"It's also what kept him here, fighting for us," retorted Callisto.

"Fffoooorr nnowww."

[

**Xavier Institute**

From the hangar entrance, Ray Crisp watched as the Velocity finally touched down and opened its hatches, with Xavier waiting directly in front of them. Sneaking around was a habit he hadn't been able to break for years; even living in the mansion, his old life seemed to stick with him like a mound of Tolanski's slime.

As the first passengers began to appear, Xavier wheeled over. Hank exited first, with Scott and a particularly haggard-looking Jean following close behind. Xavier cast her a concerned look; Jean had been particularly insecure these past few weeks, ever since her attack on Valerie Cooper.

_Man, what happened out there?_ Ray wondered. Curious, he crept inside and hid behind one of the crates.

As Piotr and Logan followed the group out, Xavier approached Logan.

"Any progress?" he asked.

The Canadian grimly shook his head. "No sign of the kid, and the rain washed away all the scents."

"I'll be more careful next time I put out a fire," muttered Ororo as she strode past them.

Xavier glanced at Ororo; she looked at least as haggard as Jean. "Logan, you were with Ororo in the Danger Room; do you know why she was so distracted?"

Logan's face hardened. "She was having a tough workout; one of the drones clipped her." Quickly, he continued "So what do we do about the kid, Chuck?"

Xavier sighed. "Cerebro is still down for repairs; it may take us a few hours to put it back together."

"Don't think we can wait that long," grunted Logan.

Ray's mind raced as he took in the conversation. _There's a kid missing? And Cerebro's down? No wonder they're all bummed out. Maybe …_

"No. But …" Xavier suddenly realized one of his students was watching him. "Come on out, Ray," he called out. "It seems you have something to add."

A sheepish Ray crept out from behind the crate. "Uhh, I was just thinking, well…"

"Spit it out, Bolts," growled Logan.

"If Cerebro's not working, there still might be someone who can help us."

"Who?"

"One of the Morlocks, see, he can sense most mutants, and point out where they are."

[

**Sewer Tunnels**

"How do you know zhey'll be here?" Kurt asked. Only an hour ago, Logan had dropped Ray, Rogue, and Jamie off to join in the search. While Rogue and Jamie went out to scour the city, Kurt had decided to accompany Ray to meet the Morlocks; who knows, maybe he'd run into Evan.

"I don't." Ray answered, and instead began tapping a rhythm on the pipe. Kurt watched with interest.

"Morlock emergency signal," Ray explained.

"How do you know so much about zhem?"

Ray sighed; he didn't like talking about his past. But, since they could only wait now …

"This is where the Professor found me," he answered, hoping Kurt wouldn't pry for details.

"Vere you one of them?" Kurt asked.

Ray groaned inwardly. _I'm telling this to the gossip king? _"Well … kinda …," he muttered.

Kurt stared. "Vhat do you mean?"

Before Ray could answer, two tentacles shot out of the water, wrapping up both X-Men.

"Hope you aren't the velcoming committee!" grunted Kurt.

"Scaleface … it's … me!" gasped Ray. As the tentacles tightened, he gave up talking and instead placed his hands on the tentacles before letting his energy loose.

The monstrosity screeched as Ray's electric jolt went through her. Ray and Kurt were finally released as Scaleface reverted to her humanoid form.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed.

Ray was still catching his breath as he answered. "We're looking for Caliban."

[

**Xavier Institute**

"Hey, 'Ro. Got a minute?" Logan called as he strode into Ororo's greenhouse.

"Of course," Ororo replied, standing up from her crouch near one of her drooping plants. "Won't you come in," she added dryly.

Logan cast a baleful glance around. "Forgetting to water the plants?"

"Nothing can be perfect all the time, Logan," Ororo snapped, placing her hands on her hips. "And you didn't come up here to look at the plants."

Crossing his arms, Logan decided to cut to the quick; this was going too far. "Chuck just asked me about ya. You gonna tell him or not?"

Ororo's face darkened. "He has enough to deal with right now; he does not need my …"

"He doesn't need any more surprises, especially not from us," Logan interrupted.

Ororo looked away. "Some things we have to handle ourselves."

"Then handle it." Turning around, Logan cast one last glance at the weather goddess. "Or I _will_ tell him."

Watching Logan exit, Ororo let out a long sigh. _Just stay off the missions for now_ she told herself. _You can tell him after_.

Outside, dark clouds began gathering.

[

**Bayville Streets**

As night overcame the city, those still outside filed onto the sidewalks illuminated by streetlights, seeking solace in the ability to see.

For others, the light brought its own dangers; if they were seen, disaster followed.

Their safety lay in the shadows, whether they knew it or not.

Dorian Leech did not.

Dorian huddled in a dark corner of a street he could not even recognize. Oblivious to his mother's death, the X men's desperate search, and Kelly's political manoeuvrings, his mind raced nonetheless.

_It's cold … I'm hungry … where's Mom?_

Dorian sniffled; this was the first time he'd been apart from his mom as far as he remembered.

"Excuse me?"

Dorian looked up and saw an elderly woman staring down at him.

"Dear, dear, are you all right?"

Dorian thought of a thousand possible replies, but there was only one he could manage.

"I want my mom."

The woman shook her head. A child, hiding in the shadows on the street; this just would not do. "You need a good meal and a hot bath first." She held out her hand. "Come, come, let's get you inside and we'll find your mother."

After hesitating a second – Mom had taught him not to talk to strangers – Dorian took hold of her hand and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet.

As his face became visible, the woman gasped. "No … stay away from me!" She quickly turned and ran away from Dorian.

Dorian stared after her retreating form, his mind going back.

_We can see what he is!_

_Dorian, stay away from the window; someone might see you!_

_We don't need your kind in here!_

_What chance has he for a normal life now?!_

_None. None at all._

Dorian sank back down against the wall, cringing at the memories.

_Everyone hates me because of my face_, he bitterly thought.

_I want to go home._

At the moment, Dorian could only cry.

_None at all …_

[

**Morlock Tunnels**

"You're wasssting your time, Ray" Scaleface hissed. "Have you not ssssstolen enough from us?"

"Stolen?" Kurt asked.

"That stuff wasn't yours for me to steal!" Ray snapped, forgetting the mission as old wounds surfaced.

"That wasssss not your decision

"Who the hell made it Callisto's?! Her camp wasn't the only …!"

"What's going on?" cut in a new yet familiar voice.

"Evan?" Kurt and Ray looked hopefully toward the voice and were greeted with the sight of Evan hopping down from a nearby pipeline, his expression guarded.

"Kurt? Ray? What are you guys doing here?" Evan asked.

"We're looking for Caliban; we need his help," Ray replied.

"What for?"

"Ve're trying to find Dorian."

--------------------

"Nnnooooooo."

"Come on! We're only asking you to use your power, tell us where he is, and we'll be gone. Easy"

"I ccaaannnoot heeelp yyoouuuu." Caliban shook his head firmly. "Weeee arrre nnoott X-mmeennn."

"Ohh, you gotta be kidding!" Ray shouted. "We just wanna find the kid!"

"He's a mutant, like us. He could be in danger," Kurt added softly.

"Ttthhhhaat issss nnoooot our connnceerrrrn," Caliban growled.

Having been silently watching the exchange, Evan sent a pointed glare towards Callisto, who simply averted her eyes.

"Caliban's right," Callisto stated, her eyes still on the ground. "We have enough problems down here."

"Zhat didn't stop you from rounding up Evan three years ago!" Kurt retorted, waving toward Evan, who was silently studying Callisto's face.

Callisto looked directly at Kurt, avoiding Evan's gaze. "We weren't looking for him."

"You just vait for mutants to … _accidentally _fall into your lap?" Kurt asked, incensed.

Callisto crossed her arms, scowling. "We don't have a mansion to keep them in, X man. Or your fancy devices to hide behind." Ignoring Kurt's dark glare, she waved to the other Morlocks and began walking away.

Kurt turned to Evan. "Nice _friends _you hooked up vith," he spat, pointing a blue furry finger toward his old friend's face.

Evan simply grabbed at Kurt's wrist, glaring in return.

"Hey!" Ray exclaimed, calling his electricity forth.

Evan immediately let go and crossed his arms. "Sorry," he mumbled. _For all of us_, he thought.

Kurt gave him one last look before waving to Ray. "Come on; zhey're not going to help us."

As the pair ported away, Evan stayed rooted to the spot, staring at the empty space where his old friends had once been.

"No, they're not," he muttered.

--------------------

"**With the public campaign for the U.S Senate in its final week, the streets have become a virtual battleground …"**

Kurt and Ray reported in and began their own search. Despite Jamie's best efforts, there was still a lot of ground to cover.

"**In the wake of the FOH attack on the Leech home, known mutants all over Bayville have gone into hiding for fear of further attacks …**

Dorian wandered from street to street. He needed help. Maybe he could find someone nice on the busy streets.

"**Mayor Kelly and Senator Hodge have both called on the rioters to refrain from any further attacks …"**

Unknown to Dorian, he was being followed. As he headed for the busiest street he could see, his pursuer spoke into his cell phone. "I got the kid."

"**Professor Charles of the Xavier Institute could not be reached for comments; however there have been multiple reports of several students on the streets at this very moment, though their intentions are unclear …"**

Xavier joined Hank in the War Room, where the scientist was busy monitoring the local power grid. With Cerebro still inoperable and no leads on Dorian's location, they were relying on luck for now.

"**In a public statement, the governor has reiterated his position that his appointment will depend on the will of the people, and he asks that they take their fight to the polls, and not to the streets."**

In the sewers, Evan strode back towards the Morlock camp, knowing what he had to do.

--------------------

"Caliban."

The bald mutant looked up at Evan. The young mutant's expression was unreadable. "Wwhhaaat dooo yyyoouuuu waaant?"

Evan didn't say another word; his actions were enough.

Caliban hissed in surprise as he found himself shoved against the nearby wall. "Aarrre yyoouu maaaaadd?!" he snarled as Evan shoved his spikes into the wall in a crisscross pattern, pinning Caliban.

Spyke crossed his arms. "The kid, Caliban."

"Release me at once!"

"Where is he?!" With that, Spyke drew a glowing spike from his shoulder and pressed the tip against Calban's arm.

Caliban growled as he convulsed. "I can keep this up all night," Evan told him coldly. Part of Evan screamed to stop; these people had saved his life from that poison drink, had given him refuge, had stood by him in that fight against Matthews and his punk friends. To turn on them … it was frightening how easy it had become, though it was no mystery.

Evan was sick of hiding.

It was that simple.

"Well?" he snapped, withdrawing another spike.

Caliban snarled defiantly, but finally spoke. "Several bloocks south of heeeerrre."

--------------------

Kurt ported out on another rooftop and peered into the streets. "Nozhing," he sighed.

As he lifted his wrist to report in, he realized something was missing. _Weird; I know I had it with me._

--------------------

"Excuse me, I …"

"Back off, freak," the man growled as he took his girlfriend's arm and hurried away.

Dorian stared after them. What were they so mad about?

"Ewww, get away!"

"What the hell you doin' out in public?"

"Go back to your hole in the ground."

"Leave us alone, before I call the police."

"Uhhhh" Dorian moaned, clutching his head. His headaches had been slowly worsening, but now … it was as if something had exploded inside his head. Groaning, he ran into a nearby alley and sat against the wall, head in his hands.

Just down the street, a crowd was gathering.

[

**Xavier Institute**

"Any luck?" Ororo asked as she marched into the Situation Room.

"Still waiting," Hank mumbled, his eyes never leaving the readout.

"Shouldn't you be reassembling Cerebro?" Outside, the wind rose along with her voice.

Hank finally spared a glance at the weather goddess. "That will take hours that we don't have, especially if nobody's monitoring the outside. Unless you would like to handle this?" His voice had an edge that was almost never heard.

Ororo's eyes narrowed, ready with her own harsh reply, when Xavier called out from the doorway. "Storm. A word, please?"

Her glare not softening, Ororo walked back to Xavier. "What is it, Charles?"

"I was going to ask you the same," he said flatly.

"I don't …"

"Storm, we've been having a string of nasty weather centered on the mansion. And, these past few hours, you've seemed particularly distracted." His gazed flickered to Hank. "Not to mention more on edge than the rest of us combined." He looked back at Ororo. "What is going on?"

Ororo sighed. So much for keeping secrets. _As if that were possible in this place_.

"Charles …" Ororo began.

"Professor? Mr McCoy?" a familiar voice rang out from the comm. board.

A surprised Ororo and Xavier quickly joined Hank at the console.

Hank wrinkled his furry brow in confusion. "Evan? What is it? What are you doing on Kurt's …?"

"Forget it; I know where Dorian is!"

[

**Morlock Tunnels**

"Caliban! What happened?!" Callisto demanded to know, as Cybelle dissolved the tips of the spikes, allowing Caliban to break free.

"Spyyykkke hasss tuurrrrrned on usssss!" Caliban hissed.

Callisto swore under her breathe. "We should have told him!"

"Heeee coooouuuld not be trussssted, assss youuuuu can ssseeeeee."

Callisto shook her head; Caliban could be more stubborn than Spyke. "Forget it; where's the kid now?"

**[**

**Streets**

_Nightcrawler!_

Kurt started at the sudden voice in his head. _Professor?_

_We have Dorian's location; he's somewhere around the intersection of Lechlin Street and Tymes Avenue. Go, now! Berserker's on his way. _

_On it! _Kurt responded, disappearing from the rooftop.

[

**Lechlin and Tymes Intersection.**

"There he is!"

Dorian looked up, and saw hatred.

He felt it too; the sheer incomprehension, covering their minds like storm clouds. The fear and revulsion, pushing them further into the alley. The hatred, for being near them and their children …

It made for one awful headache.

"No …" he moaned, backing up as the people crowded into the alley, waving placards and energy rifles.

[

**Xavier Institute**

"Nightcrawler and Berserker are on their way; Multiple and Rogue are a little further out," Hank stated.

"And Evan's probably not far behind," Xavier added. Turning about, he continued. "Storm, I think you should … Storm?" Ororo was gone.

--------------------

Evan hopped across the rooftops. He had to get there. He couldn't sit this out; it just wasn't in him.

--------------------

Kurt appeared on another rooftop. Even from here, he could hear the shouts of an angry crowd. _Oh no …_

Knowing what mobs could do, especially to strange faces, Kurt ported again.

--------------------

Ororo took to the air. Once she heard Evan's voice, she had decided to skip walking and literally flew out the door.

Her brother-in-law's face was on her mind. _You lost him? _

Her sister joined in. _How could you?! You promised to watch over him!_

Ororo gritted her teeth and opened her eyes as the emotions assaulted her. The guilt for losing Evan to the Morlocks. The pain in her sister's eyes that matched her own. The sense of despair as she watched Evan walk into the shadows without looking back …

Ororo shook her head and opened her eyes. She had to focus. _I'm taking you home this time, Evan_, she vowed as she flew for Dorian's position.

The storm clouds followed.

--------------------

Xavier ordered Beast, Jean, and Logan to follow Ororo out.

**[**

**Lechlin and Tymes Intersection.**

Roland Evian started to point his camera at the crowd in the alley, but stopped himself; it wasn't the type of image his boss had demanded.

Inside the alley, Dorian kept retreating. "Don't …" he protested.

"We've had enough of your kind, mutie!" yelled a man in front. "Take him!"

Several men rushed forward and grabbed Dorian.

The men dragged him before the array of energy rifles.

"NO!" Dorian cried. The headache was swelling.

The leader grinned as he aimed the rifle at a cowering Dorian.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!!" Dorian screamed.

All the pain, the fear, the hurt … it poured out of Dorian like it had several years ago.

The effects were the same.

"What the …" the leader stared at his crackling rifle.

At the same time, every nearby car shut down; the streets were at a standstill.

The lights went out.

Darkness had fallen.

--------------------

"_Mien gott_" whispered Kurt. The sudden black out was a dead giveaway. _I can't even teleport now!_

No time to pray.

--------------------

"Oh no," Rogue muttered, noticing the lights go out. "C'mon, Pack Rat!" she shouted, waving Jamie after her.

--------------------

"You see what he did?!" someone yelled.

"Quick; take him out; before he shuts us off!"

Abandoning their rifles, several men grabbed the nearest hard object they could find and stalked toward Dorian.

Dorian looked up; with the lights off, all he could see was shadows; the night itself had turned on him.

"EEEAAHHHHH!" screamed another shadow as it landed on the crowd.

Snarling, it turned to face the rest of the crowd.

"Oh, Jesus," someone whispered.

"Another one!"

Without even a joke for the occasion, Kurt launched himself at the crowd, knocking two men down and spurring the rest into action.

Roland watched from outside the alley. _Paydirt; better crank the autoexposure_ …

As the crowd charged, Kurt launched himself toward the wall and pushed off, driving his foot into a particularly large man.

Rolling under a flurry of blows, Kurt landed on his back, narrowly avoiding a short, scarred militiaman's machete. Grabbing his wrist, Kurt pulled and kicked up with his feet, flipping the man back into the alley.

"Dorian, turn zhe power back on!" Kurt called as he pushed off the ground and drop-kicked another protester. With Dorian suppressing the energy, he couldn't port them out yet. _Stay in motion … give them a moving target …_

Dorian could only stare.

Kurt shouted in pain as a pipe connected with his shoulder. _C__ome on, stay focused_, he urged himself as he knocked the pipe-wielding woman back with a spin kick.

Kurt had dealt with mobs before, but he'd always had his teleportation to fall back on.

Now, he realized as he flipped away from the mob, he was more trapped than he'd ever been, with his powers suppressed and the alley blocked off.

No powers.

No escape.

Only the fight.

_Come on, kid, when does your power …?_

Kurt didn't get a chance to even finish the thought, as several pipes and sticks slammed into his body. The mob had him surrounded.

As Dorian watched, several men and women grabbed Kurt's arms and legs and pulled, pinning him in place. While Kurt desperately tugged at his arms and legs, one of the men slammed a large fist into his gut.

Before he could take a breath, someone else smashed something against the back of his head. By now, Kurt could barely stay conscious, let alone fight.

Shaking furiously, Dorian crawled toward the end of the alley. People were hurting each other, and the headaches were back.

Right now, Dorian preferred the shadows.

"Hey! Over here!"

Dorian glanced toward the corner still cloaked in shadow and spotted a young woman in an eye patch waving him over.

"I'm not going to hurt you, kid; just come with me."

Dorian hesitated.

"I'm just going to take you under the ground; you'll be safe there."

No one had promised that since his mother had been attack; after one glance at the mob, Dorian walked over to the lady.

The lights returned.

Near the alley entrance, the militiamen finally caught on.

"Hey, where'd the kid go?"

"Never mind; we'll deal with this freak first!"

--------------------

"NO MORE MUTANTS! NO MORE MUTANTS!"

"What gives?" Rogue asked, staring at the crowd blocking the street.

Jamie shrugged, then glanced at the nearby police cars and the officers attempting to get through the crowd

"This is your final warning; you are interfering with police business and …"

"We got a right to be here!" a protester shouted.

"We're not going anywhere!" pronounced one with a megaphone. "We, as citizens of New York, have a right to defend ourselves against the mutant freaks overrunning …"

Shaking her head in disgust, Rogue thumbed her comm. badge. "Professor, we're cut off."

--------------------

"Quick, take him out before the other one gets away," Graydon ordered as his friends tossed the blue, scrawny mutant to the pavement. Having slipped the police back at the kid's home, he had just returned to base when the call about the kid went out. Naturally, Graydon couldn't resist joining in.

One of the militiamen raised his rifle just in time to see it impaled.

"Huh?" Graydon sputtered, looking up.

Landing near the unconscious … demon, the new arrival drew a staff from its back, followed by glowing spikes on its arms, shoulders, and back.

The finally-visible face glared at Graydon. "Leave him alone."

_The spike-freak from Bayville!_ Graydon finally realized. "Quick, shoot him!" he shouted waving at his fellow militia.

Evan didn't hesitate. Before they even raised their weapons, he hurled his spikes at the crowd, skewering every weapon in sight. Panicking, most of the crowd backed out of the arena.

The exception was Graydon.

"I'm not afraid of you, freak!" he screamed as he lunged toward Evan, club in hand. Grimacing in contempt, Evan turned his back towards Graydon, allowing him to impale his weapon on Evan's spike. Glancing toward Graydon, Evan smiled slightly.

Graydon screamed as Evan's spinning crescent kick sent him hurtling back onto the street. _Those mutie's don't mess around_, he chided himself. Even as he scrambled to his feet, the mutant was already throwing down a line of spikes, sealing off the alley entrance.

Evan knelt near Kurt. "C'mon Kurt; wake up." As he tried to rouse his old friend, every nearby militiaman with a working weapon was gathering behind his improvised fence.

"Blast him," Graydon ordered.

Evan snarled and stepped in front of Kurt, aiming his spikes. _They wanted a fight_ …

The gunmen glared back as they aimed their weapons, ready to fire.

Instead, several rifles crackled and exploded, as though they were overloading.

Graydon snarled in frustration. _Not another one!_

Ray dived into a nearby alleyway as the crowd returned fire in his direction. _Geez, and they said_ _I__ had __a nasty temper!_ He had just arrived in time to see the crowd closing in on the barricade. Seeing them raise their weapons, Ray had acted on instinct. _Sorry Prof; we __tried__ to keep it peaceful, didn't we?_

Seeing the mob shift their attention, Evan acted immediately and began his own bombardment.

"Dammit!" one of the men cursed as a spike slammed into his weapon. "Creed, we gotta pull out!" he shouted. No way could they fight two muties from two different directions.

"NO!" Graydon snapped, running over to a nearby jeep. Rummaging through the trunk, he grinned. "We just have to improvise."

--------------------

Miles away, Ororo flew hard toward Evan, oblivious to Xavier's repeated calls on her comm badge.

She had her own mission now.

--------------------

Down the street, Ray realized he could not hear any gunfire. Taking a peek around the corner, he spotted the militia taking cover behind a nearby jeep. "That's right; you better run!" he called out as he stepped onto the street and began approaching the crowd. Winning was a nice feeling.

Graydon looked back at the mutant, smirking. "Who says we're running?"

Spikes at the ready, Evan crept toward the alley wall. _What are they up to …?_

Narrowing his eyes, Ray fired a blast into the air and continued advancing. "You would be, if you knew what was good for you."

"Oh, trust me, this _is_ good for us." With that, Graydon hauled out the fire hose he'd saved for such an occasion, and twisted the release.

"Ray, look out!" Evan called.

Evan's warning came too late, as the water hit Ray full force, knocking him to the ground. He screamed as his own electricity turned back on him, spurred by his soaking wet body. _Too much …_

Growling incoherently, Evan kicked over one of his spikes and hurled another flurry towards the militia. As they returned fire, Evan attempted dive to the side, only to be clipped by one of the beams.

Seeing the mutant spin in midair and land heavily, Graydon waved. "Quick! While he's down!"

Evan grunted as he pushed himself to his feet. At that moment, another pair of beams slammed into his chest, knocking him back to the pavement.

"Keep it up! We got a tough nut to crack!" Graydon yelled.

Obediently, the militiamen aimed a steady stream of bolts at the downed Evan.

Evan was full of feeling at that point. Pain, as the energy coursed into him, slowly eating at his armor. Rage at the militiamen for ganging up on the kid and shooting mutants while they were down. Fear for the thought of Dorian at the mercy of these psychos. Remorse, for the people he was about to leave behind.

_Mom, Dad, Auntie O', Torpid, Callisto … I'm sorry … goodbye …_

Within moments, Evan felt nothing.

--------------------

Ororo flew overhead just in time to see someone being pummelled by the militia's weapons.

Flying closer, she noticed the broken spikes gathered around the figure.

"EVAN!" she screamed, hurling her hands towards the gunmen.

Graydon barely noticed the wind picking up before it picked up him and his men, droppoing them halfway down the street.

Ororo quickly settled near Evan.

"Evan?" No response. "Evan, look at me!" His face remained still.

Ororo checked over her nephew. He was breathing, though with a loud rattle. His face was already going pale. Pressing a thumb against his neck, she began searching.

"No …" she whispered. His pulse was already weak and thready. "Evan, wake up!"

Evan was too far gone to answer. _What am I going to tell Vi?_

Ororo let out a sob, which was followed by an energy beam slamming into the ground near Evan.

Ororo's eyes flashed as she looked toward the source. Sure enough, several militiamen had recovered and were advancing on her, rifles ready.

Ororo almost laughed at the sight. _They have no idea who they're messing with_.

All around Ororo, the skies darkened with her anger, the rain picked up with her grief, the thunder clapped, speaking her rage …

All her life, Ororo had fought to keep her power under control, to keep her emotions buried, to keep the skies calm. After Apocalypse, it had gotten harder, with the memories of her 'enhancements' running through her head.

Now, with her family lying near death at her feet, Ororo let go.

--------------------

"The weather's getting nasty!" Hank called as he guided the Velocity towards Dorian's location.

Jean barely heard him as her mind was struck by a bombardment of emotions. "Oh, no," she breathed.

"What?!" Logan snapped.

"It's Storm...!"

--------------------

Graydon had just scrambled to his feet when he found himself knocked to the pavement by a sudden torrent. _A storm! Of all the times …!_

Down the street, Roland had just aimed his camera towards the white-haired lady moments before the wind had picked up. _Damnit__; stormchasing wasn't in my job despcription!_

--------------------

Ororo was in her element.

She'd never liked being trapped; since she was a child, even closets and enclosed hallways had driven her into fits.

When Apocalypse had captured her, she had experienced being trapped within her own body, an experience which terrified her more than the smallest space she could remember.

Since then, she had been fighting to keep her mind clear and free. Unfortunately, it hadn't been easy these past few weeks. The mobs burning buildings, her family turning their backs on her, the Russian priest enslaving her mind, the senseless slaughter of human soldiers … it was all building a wall within her mind.

Now, with the sight of Evan, it was as though the last brick had been placed. Ororo felt sealed in, and did what she instinctively did when sealed in.

She lashed out.

--------------------

"… **and we're getting reports of what could be the most intense thunderstorm of the decade, happening at this very moment in downtown New York. Residents are advised …"**

Xavier tuned out the television as he realized what it must mean.

_Oh, no; Ororo …_

--------------------

The storm was quick to spread. Several blocks away, the gathered protesters fell silent for several seconds as they first noticed the dark clouds forming.

"Uh-oh," Rogue mumbled, realizing what the clouds meant. _Who ticked her off now?_

However, even Rogue could not prepare herself for the winds that knocked the entire crowd, including her and the group of Jamies, off their feet.

--------------------

"She's … overdoing it a bit!" Hank shouted as he struggled to control the aircraft.

"No kidding," Logan snarled. "Red, can you get me over to her?"

"Well, maybe, but why …"

"Just do it! Now!"

Jean could never find a decent reply for times when Logan used that tone, except to nod and do as ordered. Reaching out, she began to push Logan's body toward Ororo.

"Come on! Hurry it up, Red!" Logan snarled. Jean grimaced; even for her powers, the winds were too strong. _It's just wind_ something told her. Reaching inside herself, she gathered more strength and _pushed_.

Logan grunted in surprise as he suddenly flew through the air toward Ororo. Recovering quickly, he reached out and wrapped his arms around her waist. The sudden momentum was enough to drive both of them toward the ground.

"Ro, what in the hell do you think your doin'?!" he demanded, turning her to face her.

Ororo stared back. Her face showed no recognition, no surprise, no hope. Only white-eyed fury.

"Ugghhh!" Logan grunted as Ororo flung him back with another wind burst. As Logan struggled to his feet, he noticed several funnel clouds forming above.

"Ro, snap out of it …!" he began, before she struck him with another lightning bolt.

Feeling the wind pick up again, Logan dug his claws into the pavement. Growling in frustration, he looked up and locked his eyes Ororo's.

"Ro, listen to me." Already, she was rising back into the air. "I know … what it feels like … to be used … as a weapon." He growled as he felt his claws slipping. "To have your body … taken from you … to become … a prisoner …" The winds died down slightly, so Logan went on. "That never goes away, trust me, but ya don't have to let it run your life!"

The rain began to fall in earnest as the lightning flashed.

--------------------

"You think he's getting through to her?" Jean shouted, hanging onto the nearest strut.

Hank shrugged. "You know his luck with the ladies."

Jean shook her head. _We have to do something!_

--------------------

"Look around ya!" Logan snapped, waving at the ruined city block. "Yer about to level the whole city, and everyone living in it!" An idea struck him as he noticed the unconscious Evan lying nearby.

Grabbing the kid's arm and dragging him over, Logan added, "That includes the porcupine here!" His eyes narrowed as he stared directly at Ororo. "You gonna let Poccy push ya that far?"

At the sight of Evan, Ororo's blue pupils finally began to break through the milk-whiteness that had clouded her eyes as surely as her mind.

"Logan …" she gasped, clenching her fists.

"C'mon; turn it off, lady," Logan insisted. The weather had not abated.

"I … can't!" Ororo grunted. The lightning continued to flash, the funnel clouds continued to descend. She had tapped into the natural elements on a level she had never attempted before, unleashing power that was becoming impossible to stop. "It's … too much!"

Logan slid Evan's body across the pavement and reached out with one of his clawed hands. "Then use it up! I'm right here!" His adamantium skeleton should act as a lightning rod, sending her electricity straight into the ground. Whether it would leave much of Logan himself did not cross his mind.

Ororo's eyes widened as the electricity began to gather at her fingertips. Within seconds, she wrapped them around herself. "I can't!"

"It's all right," Logan growled. "I can take it."

"No, you can't!" Ororo grunted, shutting her eyes against the strain. "I … can't …!"

"Ro!" Logan snapped, resorting to his command voice. Ororo opened her eyes and locked them on Logan's. "It's the only way."

"No, it isn't."

Before Ororo could even turn to face the new voice, she could feel the sudden pressure on her mind, the insistence, the …

Finally, the wind died down as Ororo's eyes fell shut, and her body fell from the sky.

Without even a growl, Logan leaped towards her, catching the weather goddess in midair and rolling along the ground to soften the fall.

Looking around, Logan noticed the winds dying down, and unconscious Ororo lying in his arms, and an exhausted Jean crouching on the pavement, rubbing her head.

As Jean finally looked up at Logan, he stood and pulled Ororo closer. "What'd you do to her?" he growled.

Jean simply cast her weary gaze toward the pavement. "I put her to sleep," she muttered.

To her surprise, Logan just nodded and took another glance around.

Following his gaze, Jean was struck by the sight.

Three young mutants, Kurt, Ray, and Evan, lying out cold. Half the street buried under water or rubble. _Who knew our fight for mutant rights could get so messy?_

As Hank guided the Velocity towards the ruined streets, Jean turned back to Logan.

"Let's get out of this war zone."

[

**Xavier Institute, One Week Later**

"… **and an entire city block now lies in ruins as a result of the severe thunderstorm centered around the vicious skirmish between members of the Friends of Humanity and Xavier's X-men …"**

Xavier watched impassively as the television switched to a close-up of Kelly.

"**I've been warning the danger posed by mutants for years. Now, one of the so-called 'heroes' have instigated another fight with a peaceful protest and levelled an entire city block, endangering innocent lives!"**

As though confirming his accusations, footage of last week's fight, parts of it at least, flashed across the screen. Kurt launching himself at a crowd of people; Evan hurling a series of spikes offscreen; Ray firing his electrical currents past the camera; Ororo, floating at the center of the fierce storm.

"**How many more buildings have to fall?! How many more people have to ****die**** before we all wake up and do what needs to be done about these freaks of nature?!"**

"Typical," Logan grunted, glaring at the screen as he sat next to Ororo's bed within the infirmary. "Blame it all on the mutants."

"This time, I'm afraid, he has a point," Xavier replied as he turned to face Logan.

"Look, Chuck, I know what you're gonna say, but …"

"But nothing, Logan. If you had told me Ororo was having trouble controlling her powers, I might have been able to head off this disaster!" Xavier answered hotly, waving at the images of devastation onscreen.

"She wasn't _planning _on something like that," Logan shook his head. "She was _planning _to stay off missions until she got it under control. Course, she wasn't expecting the porcupine to run into trouble."

"You still should have told me in the first place, Logan!"

"Hate to break it to ya, Chuck, but you can't be the one to take on everyone's problems," Logan growled.

"And when they capable of levelling a city-block, as we've just seen? Do we simply … let sleeping dogs lie?"

Logan clenched his fists; Xavier had never gotten on his nerves like this before. "So why didn't ya just peek in our heads, if you were so …"

"Because I trusted you both!" Xavier snapped. In a lower voice, he added. "And, at the moment, I'm having trouble remembering why."

Logan, shocked at the outburst, had no response as he watched Xavier wheel himself away, shutting the door behind him.

"Looks like I left just in time."

Logan snapped his head back toward the nearby occupant. "Nice to see ya too, Porcupine."

Evan grinned weakly. Jutting his chin towards the door, he asked "Has he always been like that?"

Logan shrugged. "Naahhh; he has bad days like all of us."

Evan snorted, then glanced over at Ororo. "Will she be alright?"

"She's just sleeping it off for now." Logan paused for a moment before continuing. "Course, she's got a long road ahead for fixin her head up."

Evan took another look at his aunt. "And here I thought I was the only one with problems here."

"Well, get used to it, kid." Logan's tone sharpened. "All of us have got our personal crap to deal with here. And take it from me: running and hiding hasn't fixed a damn thing about it," he growled as he left the room. Evan stared after him,

"Which begs the question: what now?" Ororo put in, her eyes still shut.

Evan looked toward Ororo, his face beginning to brighten. "Auntie O! Uhh … how long have you been awake?"

"Long enough," she replied, opening her eyes and rolling over to face Evan directly. "And you haven't answered my question: what will you do about your problems now?"

"I … don't know," Evan admitted, glancing at Ororo, then down at his armoured body.

--------------------

"**We're getting word from the governor's office now … yes, it's official: Mayor Robert Kelly has been handed the governor's nomination for the U.S. Senate! At the end of a close race, marked by violent outbreaks by both humans and mutants …"**

Xavier shut off the television and rubbed his forehead.

"And the hits just keep on coming," Hank noted grimly.

"Yes; our fight for our rights just got a lot more difficult," Xavier sighed. "And I fear our team may not be ready to face it."

[

**Kelly Campaign Headquarters**

"Congratulations, Mr. Mayor!" one of the applauding staffers called.

"Shouldn't we be calling him Senator?" another yelled.

Kelly grinned and raised his glass in a salute to his staff. "Let's save that for when I'm sworn in," he chuckled.

"So, what now, 'Senator'?" asked a slightly tipsy Sharon Oaks.

Kelly set his face. "Now, the real work begins."

"Well said, 'Senator Kelly'," Gyrich put in as he slipped through the crowd and offered his hand to Kelly.

Sharon immediately frowned at the Homeland Security agent. "You shouldn't be here!" she hissed. "If anyone catches on …"

"Relax, Sharon," Kelly interrupted, waving Gyrich into his office. "Henry's an old friend; there's nothing 'unethical' about having one."

Once the doors were closed, Kelly rounded on Gyrich. "You're sure the funds can't be traced?"

"Trust me; they might as well not exist," Gyrich assured him.

"So what are you doing here?" Kelly snapped. If Gyrich was coming to ask for payback …

Gyrich smiled and pulled a folder from his jacket. "I just thought I'd fill you in on an operation you might be interested in."

[

**Across Town**

On the other end of town Cameron Hodge watched the results in silence, nursing a bottle of bourbon. He'd sent his staff home long before the final counts came in; it was obvious where it had been going, after the muties had trashed that intersection.

When the phone rang, he answered with an eagerness he hadn't shown in hours. "Yes?"

"Your money's been wired to the account as we agreed."

"And it can't be traced?" Hodge asked.

The voice on the other end sighed. "Just keep a low profile, and no one should start looking. That _is _what you wanted, right?"

"It was. Then," Hodge admitted. "Though, since I can hardly show my face in New York after this, I will be needing a place to work …"

"The wasn't part of our arrangement." The voice had taken on a rare edge.

"Then consider this my newest proposal," Hodge snapped. "I've already stepped into the front pages for your little 'experiment'; I gave the mutants had the 'fair fight' you were asking for. Now I expect a return, and it can from you, or from the press; I'm sure they'll be interested in the stories I have about you and your 'operation'."

Silence reigned at the other end. When his partner finally spoke, he sounded almost exhausted. "What did you have in mind?"

Hodge allowed himself a half-smile. "I'll be in need of someplace to work after the ceremonies are done. You have any room on your little island?"

His partner sighed. "I'll make the arrangements."

"Pleasure doing business."

On the other end, Essex hung up the phone, shaking his head. Not a good start for his cause. Now, he would have to get in bed with the devil to make any progress.

"Dr. Essex?" came a voice over the intercom. "Dr. Moreau is looking for you."

"Tell him I'll be right there."

[

**Morlock Tunnels – The Next Morning**

BAMF!

"You zure he'll be here?" Kurt asked.

Evan nodded grimly.

"Zhen how do ve …?"

"They already know."

--------------------

"What is it Caliban?" Callisto asked.

"Spyke isss heeerrree. Wiiitth one of the X mennnn."

--------------------

"What do you want, Spyke?" Callisto called out as she approached them.

"We're looking for Dorian."

"So?"

"You have him, don't you?"

Callisto was silent.

"That's why you wouldn't lift a finger earlier; you wanted to get him yourself." Evan was itching to fire off a few spikes; he could not remember feeling so angry. "You were just trying to keep him from Xavier."

"And why not?" Callisto challenged. "Or does Xavier expect every mutant to give up their lives for his little crusade?" She spun her staff absentmindedly, still locking eyes with Evan. "In case you forgot, there are mutants hoping for a quiet life."

"You really think you can protect him down here?"

"Could you?" Neither had an answer, so Callisto went on. "Everyone's gunning for the X men now; you can barely protect yourselves."

"So keeping him in the sewers is a better life for him?" Kurt asked.

Callisto stared back coolly. "We don't make enemies like you do."

"But …" Kurt began.

"He stays with us, X man. You want him, you'll have to go through us." With that, she stopped spinning her staff and jammed it into the ground.

Kurt sighed. "Vill you at least let him say goodbye to his mozher?"

Callisto's eyes widened.

"Mom?" came a small voice behind her.

Out of the shadows came the small, green face that they had been searching, and fighting for. "Can I see her?" he asked.

[

**Xavier Institute**

Later that morning, the skies had clouded over, threatening rain, while police cars lined up outside the gates, watching for mobs.

Xavier watched as Dorian stood over his mother's body, his shoulders slouched. Beside him stood Callisto, comforting him as best she could.

"No eulogy?" Jean asked, coming up behind Xavier.

Xavier shook his head, his expression dark. "I could hardly speak for the boy's loss."

They watched in silence for a while, until Jean noticed herself shivering. "I hope this isn't Storm's mood we're getting."

"This isn't my weather," Ororo interrupted as she joined the group, leaning on Logan and Evan for support. "Besides, a bright sunny day would hardly be appropriate, would it," she added dryly.

Xavier snorted. "I've heard, as a general rule, that it's best we leave Mother Nature to her own devices," he put in, glancing at Ororo.

"Long as you're ready for her," Logan muttered, earning a weak slap on the stomach from Ororo.

Xavier allowed himself a slight smile before wheeling himself over to Dorian.

Noticing him approach, Callisto immediately stepped in front of Dorian. "Don't even think about it, Xavier."

"That wasn't my intention," he answered. "I simply wished to ask what Dorian would like to do with his mother's body."

Callisto's face softened as she looked at Dorian. Hearing Xavier's words, he slowly turned to face the group that had joined him.

"Why won't she wake up?" he asked.

After hesitating for a few seconds, Xavier decided it was best to be honest with the boy. "Your mother's soul has left her body, Dorian, to a place I have never been able to detect; though I do believe it's out there."

Dorian simply stared at Xavier for several seconds before turning and walking away towards the mansion gates.

"Dorian," Xavier called out. As the young mutant turned to face him, Xavier continued. "You'll always find help here, whenever you need it."

Dorian just nodded and continued walking away.

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Xavier," Callisto added quietly.

Meeting Callisto's glare, Xavier evenly responded, "I can promise our best efforts on his behalf, as you do."

Callisto snorted in contempt, then turned her gaze towards Evan. "Coming, Spyke?"

Evan crossed his arms, his eyes flickering between Callisto's cold face and Xavier's impassive expression. He had made this choice several times before; it had never seemed too difficult, given how visible his mutation had become and how badly the Morlocks had needed him.

Now, nothing seemed easy.

The choice itself, however, was easy enough.

Looking squarely at Callisto, Evan placed his hands on his hips. "Sorry, Callisto, but you guys obviously don't need me down there." As he turned away, he added "Not anymore."

Without another word, Callisto turned around to follow Dorian outside the gates. After glancing after Callisto for several long seconds, Evan headed back for the mansion.

"Just one thing, Professor?" he asked as he approached Xavier.

"What is it, Evan?"

Evan sighed, then decided to blurt it out. "Don't try and send me back to school."

Xavier shook his head, chuckling under his breath, then looked out toward the line of police cars. A mob had gathered on the other side. "I'm getting the feeling, Evan, that we'll be a bit busy to be worrying about school."

**[**

**Author's Note**

Yes, here's my first story of the new year. Again, own nothing, property of Marvel and WB Kids … snores for several seconds.

Sorry! Disclaimers make me sleepy. Anyway, to clarify: Spyke is finally back with the X men, and Dorian is now an orphan among the Morlocks, and Kelly has just been elected Senator by fear. No hints on what Essex and Hodge are up to; only that you'll find out before the story ends.

Any thoughts? Whatever you think, I promise another intense chapter coming up, and another addition to the team. Any guesses on who?


	6. Surveillance

**Previously, on X Men Evolution**

"_And next year, might even go pro!" Alex grinned._

"_So I guess that means you won't be joining us at the Institute?" Scott asked, a little disappointed._

_Alex's grin disappeared. "Well … that's gonna have to wait ..."_

"_Us brothers gotta stick together," Scott told a shivering Alex. _

"_You're making the topisders angry," Callisto insisted._

"_No! They're already angry; I'm just stopping them from taking it out on us," Evan snapped back._

"_We cannnnnooot trussssst himmmm," Caliban insisted._

"_You guys obviously don't need me anymore," Evan told Callisto._

"_I am declaring my candidacy for the United States Senate!" Kelly announced._

"_Senator Kelly has been handed the governor's nomination for the United States Senate!"_

_Gyrich smiled and pulled a folder from his jacket. "I just thought I'd fill you in on an operation you might be interested in."_

**Senate Building, Washington**

"**I, Robert Kelly, do solemnly affirm that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion …"**

Henry Peter Gyrich couldn't help but smile as he watched the replay of Kelly swearing himself in. This was progress; he finally had an ally among the representatives he still had to work through. Hopefully, Kelly would soon make his way onto the oversight committees, then he could _really _get some work done.

Gyrich rubbed his forehead at the thought. Getting his operations past the committees was his biggest headache; there were still too many representatives that clung to the Constitution like it was their God.

"_That document was written 250 years ago, for God's sake; they didn't __have__ mutants to deal with then!_" he had unwisely blurted out to one of the Senators.

After that outburst, the word had spread, and Gyrich found himself stonewalled whenever he appeared before the committee. He snorted; it had been cochure for the last administration to cut it down after 9/11, as long as they were never explicit about it. To openly defame the Constitution, however, was to become an unofficial enemy of the state in these buildings; and no Senator or Congressman wanted to be _known_ to be cooperating with those types.

"You finished damning the Founding Fathers?" came Kelly's amused voice at the doorway.

Gyrich shook his head as he turned to face the Senator. "For the last time …"

"I know; 'it's just out of date and out of touch'; I've heard you say it before," Kelly quipped as he stepped inside. "Just don't expect me to repeat it."

"God forbid we speak our mind," muttered Gyrich as he waved toward his guest chair.

"So, what is this about, Henry?" Kelly asked as he took a seat. "You were pretty vague at the party."

"Just looking out for your reputation," Gyrich assured him. "And, to be a little more specific, well, let's just say I may have found a legitimate way for us to move in on the X men."

Kelly's face hardened; he hadn't forgotten that near-disaster with the FOH gang. Still … "I'm listening."

[

**Xavier Institute**

Ororo Munroe took in a long sigh as she strolled along the boy's hallway. Sleep was still a chore for her these days; when she closed her eyes, all she could see was Apocalypse's cold, mechanized face as he …

Ororo shook her head, pushing the memory away. It had been slowly been getting easier, especially given the help from Charles and, surprisingly, Logan. A slight smile crept onto her face as her thoughts turned to the gruff, heavyset Canadian with the wild eyes and …

_Stop!_ she told herself. Her thoughts were like the Danger Room sometimes, switching from her darkest memories to … whatever it was.

For the moment, she had her mind set somewhere else.

Even after returning to his old room, which Ororo had insisted on keeping vacant for him all these years, Evan had been distant. Though most of the students had been openly pleased to have him back, there was still a tension felt, which even Xavier could not put his finger upon.

For the moment, at least, she could see how he was adjusting to his new accommodations.

As she opened the door, she sighed again, this time in frustration.

Evan's bed was empty. Again.

--------------------

"Evan?" she asked as she bent over his sleeping body.

"Huh?" he sputtered as he dragged his eyes open. "Oh, uh, hey Auntie O'."

"Sleeping here again?" she asked, slightly amused.

Glancing around, Evan realized he'd been caught on the Danger Room floor again. "Just … not used to soft beds yet." He snorted. "Besides, last time I woke up my sheets were full of holes."

"Then why not sleep on your floor?" she asked, crossing her arms.

Evan looked away. "Too soft for me."

Ororo's face turned sympathetic. "You miss them."

Evan scowled. "They treated me like I belonged."

"And we don't?" she asked offended. Evan's look was all the answer she needed. Without another word, he hopped to his feet and strode out of the room.

Ororo rubbed her forehead. _And here I thought the teenage years had passed_.

--------------------

As Logan punched in the code for the danger room, he was surprised when it opened, revealing a sullen Ororo and Evan.

"What's goin' on? Somebody die down there?" he asked. Evan shook his head and strode past Logan towards the dining room.

Logan looked at Ororo. "He still won't sleep in his room?"

Ororo nodded tiredly.

"Well, at least he won't be missin' sessions," he offered, earning a near-chuckle from Ororo.

"I just wish the others weren't so ..." Ororo paused.

"Nervous? Shifty-eyed? In retreat?" Logan suggested. Even he had noticed how most of the other students had been avoiding Evan since he had returned to the X men. Noting Ororo's face fall, he placed a weathered hand on her shoulder. "Hey give 'em time; they'll come around."

"Perhaps, but will he wait that long?" Ororo mused.

"Hey guys?" Evan called from the dining room.

Quickly, Logan and Ororo entered the kitchen to find Evan staring out the windows.

"What is it, Evan?" Ororo asked, following his gaze. Her eyes widened as she noticed the line of vehicles fast approaching.

"There a party nobody told me about?" Logan grunted.

[

**Washington**

"You sent a team to the Institute?" Kelly was nearly out of his chair. "Are you insane?! If your superiors find out …"

"They already know," Gyrich replied.

Kelly stared. "How the hell did you justify this? And, while I'm at it, what are searching for anyway? They already went through it three years ago!"

"They didn't get everything," Gyrich answered.

[

**Xavier Institute**

"Kelly didn't waste much time," Logan snarled, unsheathing his claws.

_No, Logan!_ came the Professor's mental voice. The group turned to see Xavier wheel in, still pajama-clad.

"Starting a fight is the worst we can do right now," Xavier instructed.

"In case ya didn't notice, Chuck, we didn't invite this little army," Logan snapped.

"Logan!" By now, the rumbling wheels and raised voices had woken up the entire building; curious students and staff were already filing down the stairs.

"I'm going outside to see what they want. All of you; stay inside the mansion; that means you too, Logan," Xavier ordered as he wheeled toward the foyer.

Logan mumbled incoherently as he finally retracted his claws.

As he opened the door, he closed his eyes and sent out a message. _Hank, get to the records room; we may need quick access to information._

Hank nodded as he galloped off.

--------------------

"I'm not following you, Gyrich."

Gyrich stood as he collected his thoughts. "The teams that searched the Xavier institute 3 years ago were examining a burnt-out shell; there was nothing useful to find. And, after he publicly exonerated the X men, the President pulled the teams out before they could even begin to determine how their technologies worked. We've never had a look inside since."

"So?" Kelly leaned back, his expression not softening. "What makes you think you'll find anything there now?"

Gyrich smiled. "According to a tip I received, Xavier has a unique device in there that could make all the difference in our attempt to control mutants."

Despite himself, Kelly was intrigued. "What kind of device?"

--------------------

Xavier came to a stop at the gate as the convoy closed.

They showed no sign of slowing.

Inside, Logan growled, clenching his fists, while a worried Jean readied her powers.

Outside, Xavier faced the vehicles, his expression impassive.

The vehicles continued rolling.

Finally, they screeched to a stop, scant metres from the gate.

As silence fell, Xavier called out. "I'm Professor Charles Xavier, and this is a private school. What business do you have here?"

Silence.

"I'm under no obligation to let you in unless I see your credentials," Xavier continued.

Without hesitation, the "credentials" finally showed themselves.

Xavier involuntarily drew back as the trucks' doors open, spilling heavily armed men out into the street. Without a word they lined up in front of the gate, loading their rifles and aiming them at Xavier.

_Stay inside!_ Xavier immediately ordered his teams, most of which were surging toward the front door.

In a smaller car near the front of the convoy, a young, grim-faced man in plainclothes hopped out and approached the gate.

"Charles Xavier? Agent Haldor, FBI." Withdrawing a folded paper and handing it to Charles through the gate, he went on. "We have a warrant from the Southern District Court to search the premises."

"Just what are you looking for?" Xavier demanded. "This is a school!"

Ignoring Xavier's rebuke, Haldor went on. "We're looking for your mutant-detection device. Celebro, I think you call it."

--------------------

"A mutant-detector?" By now, Kelly was more than intrigued.

"Yes; precisely the tool we need if we're ever to put a leash on the mutants," Gyrich added.

"Yes, but … just how the hell did you justify this, anyway?"

Gyrich smiled. "According to my informant, a certain mutant terrorist has been popping up on Xavier's device several times in the past month; yet Xavier has not reported this to anyone."

--------------------

"Magneto?" Xavier asked, astonished. "That's impossible; who told you this, anyway?"

Haldor shook his head. "Can't tell you. But, one way or another, this is going to happen. So, are you going to let us do our jobs, or would your rather make a fight out of it?" With that, he snapped his fingers, cueing the nearby soldiers to cock their weapons.

Xavier glared at Haldor and his line of soldiers, scarcely able to believe they had come to this point. Unless … _Hank?_

Beast responded immediately. _Sorry, Charles; it looks like there is an Agent Timothy Haldor within the FBI; same face, too. _

_And the warrant?_ Xavier quickly asked.

_That will take another few hours to check; and I doubt these cowboys will wait that long_.

Xavier took a deep breath, preparing the answer he had dreaded giving.

"Follow me, then; but please, leave your army outside," he rebuked, shooting another glance at the masked soldiers.

Disappointment briefly flickered across Haldor's face before he gave a quick nod.

"This is a joke, right?" Evan asked as Ororo moved to unlock the gate. Ororo only shook her head.

As the gate swung aside, Haldor waved to the car behind him.

Within seconds, the cars were hurtling past Xavier and towards the front door.

Xavier sighed. _How quickly the tide turns._

[

**Hawaii**

On a small island in the ocean at the opposite end of the country, a young mutant prepared for his own test, oblivious to the events at the Institute.

Not that he was without ties there; in fact, his only living blood relative was one of the senior instructors.

Alex Summers, formerly Alex Masters, let out a sigh as he thought of his last web chat with Scott. Though Scott had never criticized his decision to go into professional surfing, he had always seemed disappointed that his little brother was keeping away from the Institute.

_Sorry, bro; not everyone's cut out for the superhero gig._ That's what he had told Scott after getting thrashed by Magneto during the fight against Apocalypse. Scott hadn't said a word; instead, he had nodded and told Alex their doors were always open if he ever changed his mind. Not that Alex planned to; he _liked_ his life here, especially since most of his neighbours hadn't clued in that he was a mutant. Unlike Scott, he wasn't dealing with angry mobs and vengeful friends every day of his life; was it so wrong to try and hold on to that?

It _was_ getting tougher to hide, though.

Alex grunted and clenched his fists, feeling the pain course through his bones. Over the last week, these attacks had been flaring up more and more often, and were getting impossible to predict, let alone control.

As if that weren't enough, his hands were starting to glow at the most random times.

"Come on," he groaned, trying to will the energy back.

"Alex?"

Starting, Alex quickly hid his hands behind his back as he turned to face his visitor. "Hey, Rob … what's up?"

"What's up?" Rob stared at him as though he'd grown a second head. "Dude, the pilot's waiting and you're in here sittin' on your hands!"

"Hey, chill, man!" Alex replied, raising his hands in defence. "Uhh …" he started, realizing what he'd done.

Rob stared. "What's the deal with your hands?"

"My hands?" Alex looked at his hands; thankfully, they had returned to their normal colour.

"I mean, why you starin' at 'em?"

"Oh!" Alex began to giggle in relief. "I just, uh, think they're gettin' fat."

Rob raised an eyebrow.

Thinking quickly, Alex stood up and strode toward the door, wrapping an arm around his friend. "So, I guess we better get movin' huh?"

"Yeah, sure," mumbled Rob.

Alex inwardly sighed with relief as he headed for his surfboard. Maybe his secret was still safe.

On the chair he had left, two smoking handprints finally lost their glow.

[

**Bayville**

"This is Haldor, sir; the package is secure. I'm on my way to the lab now," Haldor reported into his cell phone as his team sped away from the Institute.

"Neg that, Haldor," came Gyrich's voice. "I'm uploading a new address to you now; take the package there.

"Sir, I thought this was evidence …"

"Never you mind!" Gyrich snapped. "The package has to be protected; get it to my location and leave it with my team; that's an order!

"Understood." _Right; like I'll __ever__ understand those Washington boys_ Haldor thought as he hung up.

[

**Xavier Institute**

"Well, it looks like your Cerebro sessions are on hold for a while," Hank glumly observed.

Xavier simply nodded, staring at the empty console that had once housed the Institutes central device.

"So why are we just sitting here?" Evan asked, leaning against the doorway.

"Evan …" Hank tried.

"The govnrnment just stole Cerebro; why aren't we going after it before they bury it?!" Evan continued.

"Because, right now, that would be against the law," Hank answered matter-of-factly.

Evan snorted. "Right. The _law_."

"Evan!" Xavier's sharp tone surprised even Hank. "Hank's right; we cannot simply launch an attack against any move that feels wrong; not unless you'd rather condemn all of us to fighting for the rest of our lives!"

Evan shook his head. "Fine; I'll go and get it back myself." He turned to leave.

"Evan, you step outside that door, it won't be open when you come back." Xavier called.

Evan stopped in his tracks long enough to shoot Xavier a dark glare, then stalked out of the room, only to nearly run into Roberto and Rahne. Before either could say a word, he immediately turned and stalked down the hallway, leaving the two young mutants to cast an apologetic look towards Xavier.

Hank shook his head. "And here I thought he was starting to settle in."

Xavier sighed. "That will have to wait. For now, we have a bigger problem before us."

"Cerebro in government hands."

"Let's only hope that _was_ the government."

[

**Anonymous Warehouse, Several Hours Later**

"Have you received the package?" Gyrich asked over the radio.

"I'm looking at it right now," Dr. Herman Lyler reported, watching his new partner direct the team as they hauled the large device out of the van. "This thing's supposed to detect mutants?" he asked.

"You tell me, _Doctor_," Gyrich responded coldly. "That _is _why I hired you, isn't it?"

Lyler chuckled. "And here I thought it was because we delivered. You believe _that_, right?"

"I believe what I see, Doctor. I'll be arriving on site in 4 hours; in the meantime, you know what to do."

"Right."

--------------------

After an excruciating plane ride, which he found almost as uncomfortable as oversight committees, Gyrich finally strode into the packed testing room, which at the moment was filled with silent equipment and resting scientists.

"I don't see anyone _working_," he snapped, startling Lyler out of his reverie.

"We are working," Lyler quipped as he stood up and walked over to Gyrich. "It's called 'sitting back and thinking.'" Shaking his head, Lyler continued, "Not much else is working for us so far."

Gyrich sighed; maybe he should have stayed and briefed Congress. "I take it you have nothing to show me?" he asked snidely.

"I didn't say that." Without another word, Lyler waved Gyrich over as he walked over to his technician napping on his laptop. "Good news: we did manage to get into its memory cores and pull same data. Best guess: looks like records of old scans."

Behind his thick glasses, Gyrich's eyes lit up as he peered over Lyler's shoulder. On the screen flashed a map of the globe. Across the landmasses scattered a collection of blinking yellow dots.

"Are those … mutants?" Gyrich.

"Probably, assuming that's what this machine looks for," Lyler shrugged. "No details attached to the blips, except for a few. I'm betting the machine needs a push before it pulls much data."

"There must be thousands," muttered Gyrich, staring at the display.

Lyler snorted half-heartedly. "Robert Heinlein, eat your heart out."

Gyrich shot him a cold, and slightly confused, glare. "What about the machine itself; have you been able to activate it?"

"That's the bad news," Lyler mumbled as he walked over to Cerebro. "We set it up according to the photos and specifications your team sent us. Trouble is, we've tried every button we can find; none of them are getting us any new data."

"You mean you can't even turn this thing on?" Gyrich asked incredulously.

"Not quite." Lyler pointed to the headpiece sitting near the laptop. "Best we can tell, that helmet there seems to react to our brainwaves; when one of my guys put it on, the devices lit up like a freakin' Christmas tree."

"So? What was the problem?"

Lyler pointed at a drooling technician lying on a cot at the end of the room. "Best guess: too much data, not enough data cruncher."

Gyrich scowled impatiently, then turned white as he realized Lyler's meaning. "It … wiped out his _mind_?!"

"He'll just be out for a few days; we pulled it off him after the first few seconds." Lyler sighed as he looked at his sleeping crew. "Since then, I been kinda short of volunteers."

"So what you're telling me is you have nothing?" Gyrich asked, incensed. All that work, risk, all for the hope that …

"Depends," Lyler answered, interrupting Gyrich's thoughts. "If you were hoping to use this yourself, you're outta luck." Staring at the headpiece, he murmured "I doubt there's a human on Earth who can survive that thing and stay sane."

"Great," grumbled Gyrich. "So this is what you deliver …"

"ON THE OTHER HAND," Lyler interrupted, guiding Gyrich back toward the laptop. "There's also a lot of data from past scans; some of them even have names, registration info, power types …"

"How does it get all that?" Gyrich interrupted.

Lyler shrugged. "Word of the day? 'Don't know.'" Lyler's brow tightened as he noticed his partner approaching. "Though, my _assistant_, Mallory Brickman, as always, has her own ideas."

Though her eyes flashed at Lyler's dismissive tone, Brickman ignored him as she turned to Gyrich. "Mr. Gyrich, the machine is triggered directly by the mind, enhancing its awareness…"

"What's your point?" Gyrich snapped.

Unfazed, Brickman went on. "It may be that none of us have the mental faculties to handle what this machine senses. At least not without mutant powers …"

"You're kidding!" Aghast, Gyrich spared another look at the forbidding headpiece. "A mutant-only machine?!"

Brickman nodded. "From what I saw, Ian there couldn't handle his own enhanced mind. Someone with mental powers, though …"

"All right, all right," a frustrated Gyrich cut in, throwing up his hands. "What _can_ we learn from this thing?"

"Nothing on Mag-" Brickman began before being cut off by Lyler.

"There's still a lot of archived data from its past scans; some from as recent as yesterday afternoon."

"So what?" Gyrich snapped. "What good are past scans for …" he trailed off as the wheels in his mind began to spin, almost of their own accord. Past scans, a recent record of mutant powers …

From this point on, Gyrich was on autopilot. "All right. Keep working on activating the device. In the meantime, I want copies of data from scans as far back as last week on my desk before I get back to Washington." Without another word, he strode back to his car, pulling out his cell phone a punching in a number from memory. "Fisk; are you available?"

[

**Hawaii**

"Ready, man?"

Alex grinned. "You kidding?!"

"Then let 'er rip!"

With that, Alex hurled himself toward waters below.

Angling his board to meet the water, Alex let out another yell as he finally touched down.

Laughing, he broke the crest of the wave and grabbed his board as he flipped in midair, coming to land on another wave.

"Lookin' good, Alex!" Rob called from the helicopter, video camera on hand.

Offering a wave and a wicked grin to the camera, Alex looked around for another challenge.

Sure enough, a pipeline was forming behind him. Alex grinned.

A matter of seconds later, Alex disappeared beneath the wave.

Rob shook his head. "Dude, you _are_ insane," he laughed into the radio.

"Thought that was par for the course!" Alex retorted as he emerged from the wave unfazed.

Alex let out another whoop as he shot over the crest of the next wave. He loved the sea.

It could be rough, hell, often _was_, but it didn't single you out. It didn't try to drag you into anyone's camps.

Here, it was just him and the waves; no agendas, no plots. Just him, his powers that he could count on, and the elements.

Alex closed his eyes as he rode another wave and reached out for the wind.

_Life doesn't get much better than this._

"Dude, what's with your hands?!"

"Huh?" Alex asked as he opened his eyes. _No, no, no, not NOW!!!!_

Ignoring his silent pleas, his hands glowed as the ache continued to build.

"Alex!" Rob called into the radio. "What the heck's goin' on?!"

Alex was too busy wringing his hands. The pain was unlike anything he'd felt before; his hands felt ready to explode. _Come on, turn off, will ya?! _he silently begged his powers.

Not that they were listening too well these days.

"AHHHH!!!!" Alex barely heard his own scream as his pain seemed to explode, bursting out of his hands as red-orange beams of energy.

"Look out!" Rob yelled. Cursing, the pilot threw his weight onto the yoke, banking the aircraft and narrowly avoiding the bright blasts.

At the nearby beach, the first to notice was the child who asked her mommy what the 'bright lights' were.

Alex groaned and tried instinctively to aim his pulsing hands elsewhere. Too late, he realized that it was his board in the blasts' sights.

"Alex!" Rob screamed as Alex board shattered, dumping Alex into the open water. "Help him!" he urged the pilot, who shook his head firmly.

"No way, kid; one close call is enough!" Quickly he hit the rudder, bringing the helicopter about. "We're getting outta here!"

_Suit yourself_. Rob thought. Quickly, he grabbed the nearby inflatable raft and leapt after Alex.

"Alex!" he called, scanning the water. At that moment, another beam erupted from the depths and fired over Rob's head. "Will you turn those things off?!"

On shore, a crowd had gathered to watch the display. Already, mutters about "muties" and "dangerous freaks" could be heard.

Alex gasped as he finally broke surface. Focusing on his hands he realized their glow was finally beginning to fade.

"Hey Alex!" Rob called from the raft.

--------------------

Within the hour, a reluctant pilot finally began dragging the two boys' raft toward shore.

As beach neared, Alex could already spot the glares being sent his way. He sighed, dejected; he should have seen this coming.

"Dude, what the heck was that?" Rob asked as he unclipped the line.

Keeping his hands pointed away from the raft, and the crowd, Alex sullenly replied. "I think it's my exit cue."

Among the crowd, one of the patrons slipped away as she reached for her cell phone.

"Sir. I think I found the Hawaii mutant."

[

**Xavier Institute**

"I just don't get it; why'd he invite that kid back into our house?"

"Jubes, yer bein' unfair ..."

"Come on, fearless leader; he walked out on us twice; what's stopping him now?"

"That's not up t'us, Bob-"

"And why's he walking around looking ready to impale us in our sleep?"

"Why don't you ask him?"

"Yeah. Right."

"Bobby!"

"Would you all quit it?" spat Amara. "He may've left, but he never abandoned us..."

"Is this just because he beat up that jerk Matthews for you two?"

"What?! Jubilee ..."

"Hey! What's going on?" Scott put in as he strode into the rec room. Bobby, Jubilee, Sam, and Amara immediately stopped arguing and instead glanced around, searching for blame to place.

"That's what I thought," Scott replied to the silence. "Look, you have a problem with Evan, he's the one you should be talking to. Got it?" he added, putting his best edge into his voice, one he usually saved for combat situations.

Without another word, the teens strode from the room without looking at Scott, who could only shake his head. Leading the team when it had been half a dozen high school students strong had been difficult enough. Now, have added so many new members and enduring so much, it was getting close to impossible to lead. _How did Sam and the instructors ever manage while we were at college?_

On instinct, he decided to wander into the kitchen, where he found Evan fidgeting with an untouched granola bar.

"You okay?" Scott asked, concerned.

Still staring at the table, Evan mumbled, "No. What do you care, anyway?"

Scott sighed. Gone was the kid Scott remembered, the immature, rebellious skater-dude who had fought to prove himself to the older kids. _So this is what happens when you skip childhood._

"Look, Evan …" Scott tried.

"It's Spyke," Evan brusquely interrupted.

"Whatever." Scott shook his head. "I know we haven't been the best welcoming party …"

"You noticed?" Evan sneered.

"Yeah," Scott replied coolly. "And the way you've been acting isn't helping."

Evan shot Scott another glare. "_I'm _the one who's supposed to be acting different?!" This was too much; even his spikes were quivering with indignation. "Here in Mr-Tolerate-Our-Differences …?!"

"Woah, woah, I didn't mean it like that!" Scott yelled, holding out his hands. "I'm just saying, it might help if you …"

Before Scott could continue, his cell phone cut in.

"Yeah, I'll think about that," Evan quipped angrily.

Sending Evan an apologetic look, Scott turned away as he flipped open his phone. "Yeah?"

Evan looked away. _Busy place_ he thought bitterly as he stalked out of the room.

"What?" Already, Scott had forgotten Evan as he recognized the voice. "Alex, slow down!"

Scott heard a couple deep, ragged breaths before his brother answered. "I _said_ I'm coming to visit, bro. Can you pick me up at the airport?"

"Well, sure, but Alex … what's wrong? You sound like …"

"Bro, can I just explain when I get there? I gotta catch my flight before it leaves."

Scott frowned; Alex had never sounded this panicked; even when caught in the middle of that vicious hurricane, he hadn't lost his cool.

"All right; when does your flight get in?"

--------------------

"Any luck?" Xavier asked as he joined Hank, Logan, and Jean in the War Room.

"Depends," Jean replied. "Good news; we've managed to get through all of the red tape around the warrants records. Bad news; I can't seem to find any warrant for the Xavier Institute. And I've searched last week's archive twice. Nothing matches the piece of paper we got from Haldor."

"And I've gone through the FBI database with a fine-toothed comb." Beast added, indicating the screen in front of him. "No mention of any operations or cases involving our friend Magneto. In fact, the only place he appears is on their Most Wanted List, right above Osama," Hank finished grimly.

"So no record of any official search for Magneto, or any warrant to seize Cerebro," Xavier concluded.

"Which means it's off the books," growled Logan. "That could be any number o' agencies."

"True, but we know one that is searching for Magneto," Xavier added.

"Cooper," Logan growled. Glancing over at Jean, he continued. "Red, you were in her mind a few weeks back; you see anything about this?"

Both Jean and Xavier's faces darkened at the mention of Cooper. "I didn't look that deeply Logan; I wasn't supposed to look at all!" she finished as she got up and prepared to leave.

"Jean …" Xavier began, before Scott entered.

"Hey, Professor … uhh, am I interrupting?" he asked, looking at the tense faces.

"No, not at all, Scott. What is it?" Xavier sighed.

"Well, Alex just called, saying he wanted to come over here. He sounded pretty worked up. Is it all right if I …?"

"Of course, Scott." Xavier interrupted. "I've already promised Alex a place here if he desired." Glancing at the flashing computer screens, he continued. "And we can hardly let difficult times deter us from our primary mission."

"Thanks, Professor." Scott smiled.

"Mind if I go with him?" Jean asked, crossing her arms. "I don't' think I'll be much more help here."

Xavier sighed; she still wasn't over his reaction to the incident with Cooper. "Why not?"

[

**Homeland Security, Washington**

Gyrich listened closely as his latest report came in. "Bending metal? Are you sure it's not …? All right, good work … No, the location _is _ready, just make sure she's secure."

Gyrich hung up and leaned back. By the time he had gotten back to Washington, two of his agents had already reported sightings in the locations he had specified. _With good data, and mind to act on it, __things get done_, he told himself.

His newfound knowledge begged another question: what to do about these mutants?

Gyrich almost snorted at the thought as he reached for his phone. For him that was hardly a question.

[

**Hawaii**

"I'll ring in when I get there," Alex told his foster parents as they clung to him.

"You do that," answered a teary Kim Masters.

"You sure you can hold it in for the whole flight?" Roy Masters asked, concern lining his face.

Alex shrugged. "Gonna have to, I guess."

"_Attention, passengers: Flight 959 to New York is now boarding …_"

"Well that's me," Alex chuckled nervously as he hauled his bag over his shoulder.

Forcing smiles, Roy and Kim waved as they watched Alex join the line of passengers. They stayed until Alex passed through Customs and disappeared into the nearby hallway.

Neither of them noticed a nearby man typing into his PDA.

--------------------

Alex let out a deep breath. Only another 24 hours.

24 hours hoping his powers wouldn't blow up on him again. This time, on an airplane, up in the atmosphere …

_Aww man, I shoulda taken a boat, or maybe asked Scott to pick me up in his fancy jet …_

"Alex Summers?" A crisp, clipped voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Yeah, what's this …?" his voice trailed off as he turned and was greeted by two security guards and a tall, suited man.

"Security issue with your luggage; we need your help to sort it out," Suit responded.

"Uh, sure, I guess … is this about my video camera?" he asked as he walked after Suit, with the two guards falling in behind him.

"Not to worry, sir; it's strictly routine," Suit answered without looking back.

As they continued along the hallway, Alex began to wonder where he was going. They _looked_ like airport security, but …

Alex suddenly realized he had no idea where they were. "Hey, uh, where are you taking me?"

"Our office."

Alex scratched his head; this didn't make sense. "But, uh, how's my luggage getting over here?"

Behind him, the security guards tensed up. Suit, however, did not waver in the slightest. "They're carting it up now; should just take a few minutes."

"Uh-huh." Alex did not feel convinced. Suit reminded him of someone, someone he had put his trust in, someone who had tried to turn him into one of his toy soldiers …

"Here we are, sir; Go right in," Suit stated, waving at a small door before him.

"Uh, sure," Alex mumbled, stepping reaching for the door. Something felt wrong here …

A sudden shiver clued Alex in. How could Hawaii wind be coming out of an indoor office …?

"Are you sure …?" Alex never got to finish asking.

"Hey!" he shouted as Suit shoved a black bag over Alex's head. Before Alex could even move, he felt strong arms seize each if his arms.

"Let me go!" he shouted into the bag. Ignoring him, the guards continued to drag him toward a place he could not see.

Alex had never been more scared in his life. Falling out of Asteroid M, surviving that nasty hurricane in Hawaii, fighting the possessed Magneto in Mexico … all of that paled with the sense of dread building in his stomach.

Now, he was being abducted by people he didn't know, for reasons he couldn't know. Scott and his friends were across the Pacific.

He was alone, with no idea what he was facing.

As his hands began to ache, he remembered something else.

He was alone, but not exactly unarmed.

Opening his hands, Alex gave the energy in his hands a mental push, as he'd practiced since he'd discovered them.

Both sets of hands released him as the security guards flew through the air. Quickly, Alex yanked off his hood and spun around.

Not a moment too soon; Suit was already rushing toward him. On instinct, Alex pushed his hands and mind towards Suit, sending another blast his way. The next second, Suit was flying in the opposite direction. After Suit finally landed, Alex chanced a look around.

He was outside, in a particularly quiet corner. _No one else; man, that was close. I guess I better tell security … unless that __was__ security … maybe I should get back to my … OWWW!!!_"

Alex slapped at the painful spot on his neck. Already, he was starting to feel woozy.

_What …?_ was his last coherent thought before his eyelids dragged shut and his body collapsed.

Out of the shadow came a casually dressed woman, clutching a long rifle.

Her pager beeped. "**Report**," it stated, speaking for her boss.

She typed back "**Mutant neutralized; 3 agents down; awaiting backup**."

The response was swift. "**Take him to attached location immediately; you know the drill.**"

Nodding, the woman switched frequencies and sent the signal to her man in Ticketing; his job was to remove the mutant's name from the records.

No witnesses, no evidence, no crime.

[

**JFK Airport, New York, The Next Day**

"He should be here any minute now," Jean assured Scott for the umpteenth time. "Look, here come the first passengers now."

As the crowd of tired, happy, or otherwise occupied faces began filing out of the hallway, Scott anxiously scanned for the face he knew.

"I don't see him," he reported, his voice already rising. "Are we at the right terminal? Maybe we should …"

"Maybe _you_ should sit down and try to relax," Jean ordered as she grabbed Scott's arm and dragged him toward a nearby bench.

Scott sighed as he sat down, still staring at the crowd.

"Now, you going to tell me what's _really _getting to you?" When Scott didn't answer, she sighed and tried again. _You know no one else has to hear it._

Scott shook his head, trying to get a handle on his thoughts. _Just … you should have heard Alex, Jean; he sounded almost like Magneto or Apocalypse were after him! I mean---_

_I see what you mean_, Jean interrupted, having glimpsed the memories at the forefront of Scott's mind. _Maybe it's his own powers that are getting to him …_

_Then why wouldn't he tell me?_ Scott demanded. _We're brothers! He should…!_

_SCOTT_ Jean put in, silencing the mental tirade before it began. _None of us really took it well when our powers ran off on us._ The memories ran through both of them; Jean's sudden power surge after her soccer season, Evan's mutation running out of control and driving him underground, Rogue's power explosion that nearly killed her, Storm's recent breakdown …

_You're right_, Scott admitted as he recalled those days. _Out-of-control powers seem hard for anybody to admit to._

Jean wrapped her arms around Scott and gave him a squeeze. _Look, he may be clamming up, but he's still coming here, isn't he? _Scott nodded and squeezed her hand affectionately. _He'll open up when he's ready._

Scott kissed Jean's fingers, finally feeling himself relax. _Thanks, Jean_.

Then he looked back where the crowd had been.

_Hey, where is everybody?_ The floor was bare; the hall had gone quiet again.

At that very moment, a security guard was already closing the door to the terminal. Without thinking, Scott let go of Jean and rushed over to him. "Excuse me, sir, but is everybody off this flight?"

The guard paused and looked at Scott incredulously. "Yeah, or I wouldn't be sealing off this terminal. Why?"

"My brother … short, blonde, surfer dude from Hawaii – did you see him pass?"

The guard furrowed his brow, then shook his head. "Nah, but that doesn't mean he couldn't have slipped by."

Scott turned back to an approaching Jean. "I thought he told me to meet him right outside the terminal!"

"Scott, this must be a simple mistake; maybe Alex came on a different flight, or landed somewhere else," Jean suggested.

"No, I'm sure I had it; I even wrote it down to be sure," Scott answered, pulling the crumpled note from his pocket. Rubbing his head in frustration, he sighed and decided to try something else. "Jean, can you get a hold of him with your telepathy?"

Jean sighed; she wasn't supposed to be using her power this freely out in public. "Scott …"

"Just a quick scan, to see if he's here," Scott pleaded. He knew how insecure Jean had become about her powers.

Jean finally nodded and began to reach out with her mind.

Thoughts bombarded her, and sights of the airports various hangars and terminals flashed before her eyes.

Nowhere within the airport was the set of thoughts she was looking for.

_This can't be right. _Jean reached out again. Same results, or rather lack thereof.

"Jean?" asked Scott, growing anxious for more than one reason now.

Jean opened her eyes. "Scott, I can't sense him anywhere."

[

**Warehouse**

By the time he had woken up, Alex had completely lost track of everything. Waking up in a small space with no windows and no clock, it had taken him a few minutes to remember his own name. Forget about figuring out the time or where he was.

Alex grunted as he rolled over, his eyes desperately searching the room for anything offering answers.

The room stared back, offering nothing.

_Okay, nothing here to help me … just me … my clothes … my aching hands … wait a s-MY POWERS!_

It was at that moment, as Alex tried to push at the energy he felt flowing through his bones, that he realized how dizzy and exhausted he still felt. _Man, what did that goon put in me?_

Whatever it was, it was making it impossible for Alex to focus on his powers.

Suddenly, the room was flooded by light. _Since when is it that bright outside?_

Within seconds, he was covered in darkness again.

Alex sighed. At this point, the ocean seemed easier to navigate.

--------------------

"In there, mutie."

Before he could even nod, Alex felt strong hands on his back shoving him through the doorway and onto the floor. As the door closed, he heard someone snicker "Have fun."

Alex managed a weak scowl towards the doorway before he felt a gentle hand on his arm. "Are you all right?" a soft, feminine voice asked.

Alex gasped and tried to drag himself away.

"Hey, easy!" the woman weakly called. "It's not like I'm in any shape to take you on."

Alex sighed and dragged himself to a sitting position against the wall, still looking …

As his eyes adjusted, he first noticed the curtain of green hair before her face came into view.

"Wow," he mumbled under his breathe. She looked _good_, even with her face reddening.

"Men" she grumbled, looking away.

"Hey, hey, no disrespect," Alex protested, trying to wave his heavy hands. "Must be the drugs talking."

The young woman snorted. "You too?"

"Yeah." Alex sighed and closed his eyes. Well, at least he wasn't alone this time. "I'm Alex," he tried, holding his hand out.

After hesitating, she reached out with her own hand. "Lorna."

"Nice to .. WOAH" Alex yelped as they both toppled to the floor, too weak to hold themselves up.

"Sorry!" Lorna mumbled, her face on Alex's back. Placing her hands on the nearest surface, she began to push.

"Hey! Ow! I need that spine!" Alex grunted as Lorna finally reached a sitting position.

"My bad," she apologized. "Here let me …" as she reached out to pull Alex up, she felt herself beginning to topple again.

"Oooffff!"

"This is getting old already," Lorna grumbled, her head now in Alex's lap.

"Totally," Alex replied.

To their mutual surprise, they both began to laugh.

[

**JFK Airport, New York**

"Are you sure?" Scott asked, his grip on the receiver tightening.

"Mr. Summers, I'm telling you, we watched him walk right through customs and into his terminal," Roy Masters answered hotly through the phone line.

Scott sighed. "All right, all right, I believe you."

"I don't understand," Kim Masters put in. "He must have gotten on the plane, or somebody would have called us. Where could he be?"

Scott shook his head. "I don't know … Look, I'll call you back when I figure this out."

"He was supposed to meet us here half an hour ago, on this flight number," Jean told the young ticketing agent, handing over Scott's note.

Glancing at the note, the agent shifted uncomfortably. "Look, I'd like to help, but unless you're immediate family, I can't …"

"Can't what?"

The agent started as Scott approached, his face angry and set.

The agent blinked at Scott, then focused back on her keyboard. "I can't give out flight information without …!"

"Please," Scott spoke softly. "He's the only family I have left."

An uncomfortable silence followed as the agent stared down at her keyboard, then back at Scott.

"What's his name?"

Scott took a breath. "Alex Summers, S-U-M-M-E-R-S, should be flight 959 from Hawaii."

A quick burst of typing later, the agent was already shaking her head. "I don't see any Alex Summers here."

"Try Alex Masters."

The agent typed away.

"Sorry, no."

"What about other flights from Hawaii, even through transfers?"

The agent didn't even bother to type.

"This was the only one."

Scott slammed his fists down on the counter. "Then where's my brother?!"

[

**Warehouse**

"The Xavier Institute?" Lorna asked, wrinkling her brow. "You were actually going there?"

"Uh, yeah, why? Interested" Alex asked, closing his eyes.

Lorna shook her head. "Pass."

"Why?" Alex asked, opening his eyes and looking back at Lorna. He had long lost track of how long they had been chatting.

Lorna shrugged. "Let's just say I'd rather keep my powers to myself."

To her surprise, Alex simply nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean." He chuckled weakly. "Heck, I've been trying to keep my hands under wraps for three years."

"So why'd you change your mind?" Lorna asked, looking at Alex, trying to keep her gaze focused on his face. _Stay out of the gutter, Lorna!_

Alex rubbed his hands at the memory. "My powers, well, they kinda blew up in my face."

Lorna blinked. "Ouch."

Alex sighed. "Xavier always told me he could help me figure them out when I was ready, so off I went." Looking at the door, he added, "Plus, I still got family there."

"Must be nice," Lorna mumbled, drawing a curious gaze from Alex.

"Hey, you okay?"

"Peachy," Lorna grumbled, rubbing her eyes. Noticing Alex continue to stare, she sighed and went on. "I just wish I knew what that was like."

"Having a family?"

Lorna nodded sullenly.

"Well, don't look at me, then." At Lorna's surprised glance, Alex continued. "I only found my brother a few years ago."

"What about your parents?" Lorna asked, suddenly curious.

Alex looked away. "They're gone."

Silence followed as the two mutants tried to turn their minds away from their loss.

Or, in Lorna's case, the complete absence.

"Mine died in a plane crash when I was an infant," Lorna finally put in, breaking the silence.

Alex looked up, surprised. "Small world," he grunted.

"You too?" Lorna asked. Alex nodded. Lorna looked away, her personal void making itself known. "Hope you knew them, at least."

--------------------

"How are the mutants?"

"In room 143, under sedation," Cory Fisk, the warehouse owner, replied, his eyes still on his newspaper.

Gyrich sighed. Sometimes entrepreneurs could be as arrogant as Senators. "You put them in the same room?!"

Fisk finally looked up. "Yeah, why?"

"Separate them."

"What for …?"

"Separate them right now, or I find somewhere else to keep them!" Gyrich snapped. Sighing, Fisk relayed the order into his radio. _Thought I'd escaped Washington._

"I want to see them," Gyrich added as the owner put down the radio.

Fisk sighed. "Security room's this way," he replied as he stood up and led Gyrich out of the room.

"So what's this all about, anyway?" Fisk asked as two guards fell in behind them.

"Asking questions now? That's a change," Gyrich quipped.

Fisk shrugged. "Just wondering if you needed any info from them," he grinned. "You know I'm good with _those _kinda questions."

"I also know it cost you your commission," Gyrich countered. Fisk had been one of the most … effective at interrogations over in Afghanistan, until a cell phone image of his methods had been leaked to CNN, torpedoing his career in the armed forces. Only a few.

"So again: what _do _you want from these mutants?" Fisk pressed.

"To see if they can be contained."

--------------------

"So, what're your powers, anyway?" Alex asked, trying to continue the conversation.

Before Lorna could answer, the sight and sound of the door bursting open hit them both. Two tall men immediately followed, coming to a stop over Lorna.

"Get up," one of them told her.

"Are you kidding?" she groaned. Without another word, both men reached down and snatched an arm each.

"Hey!" Alex yelled, reaching for one of the men's feet. A quick kick to the face sent him back to the floor.

Alex could only lie and watch as they dragged Lorna outside and slammed the door shut. Within seconds, he could hear another door opening and closing nearby.

--------------------

"Can they use their powers?" Gyrich asked as he and Fisk watched his men lock the green-haired mutant inside the nearest room.

Fisk shrugged. "I ain't a doctor, but, with the stuff I got them on, they'll have trouble reading their own name, let alone concentrating on their powers."

Gyrich nodded grimly. That was always a problem with capturing mutants; controlling their powers were harder. "That will have to do, for now."

"So what now?" Fisk asked

"Keep them," Gyrich replied, his gaze fixed on the woman.

"How long?" Fisk asked.

"As long as it takes," Gyrich responded as he turned to leave.

Fisk shook his head. "Just remember, I got lots of room here!" he called.

--------------------

"Lorna?" Alex called, knocking on the wall. He could hear _someone _shuffling about next door. After a few seconds, he heard a faint knock in reply.

Rubbing his hands, something occurred to Alex. Even while swimming in drugs, his powers were still on. Maybe enough to …

With visible effort, Alex reached towards the wall near the ground and _pushed._

The familiar crackle of his powers returned, though much fainter than usual. Finally, a small beam began burning a hole through the wall.

After what seemed like forever, the hole was complete. Lying down next to the hole, Alex tried again. "Lorna?"

Finally, he heard the soft voice reply. "Alex? What did you _do_?"

"Just … got kinda quiet in here," Alex chuckled softly, and was rewarded by a weak laugh from the other side.

After only a few seconds, the laughter turned to ragged breaths. "Why are they doing this?"

"I don't know," Alex admitted.

"We're not leaving, are we?" she asked, her voice already thick with despair.

"Hey." On instinct, Alex pushed several fingers through his makeshift hole. "I'll bet you anything my brother's already looking for us."

After a moment, Alex felt a new set of fingers link with his own. "You sure?" Lorna asked.

"Trust me; my bro doesn't let anything slow him down."

[

**JFK** **Airport**

"No, I will not 'calm down!'"

"Sir …"

"NO!" Scott snapped, pushing the guard's hands off him. "I want to know where my brother is now!"

"For the last time, he was never here …"

"THEN WHERE IS HE?!!"

"That's not our problem," the tallest security guard insisted.

"Whose is it then?" Jean asked sharply, her arms crossed as she kept one eye on Scott.

"I don't know; the morgue?" one quipped, drawing snickers from the others.

Without another thought, Scott's hand went to his glasses. Not since Mystique had blown up the mansion had he wanted to hurt someone this badly, to show them what he hid behind his shades …

Before he could even finish that thought, his hand jerked away of its own accord.

_Scott, NO. _"We're leaving," she announced firmly, pulling Scott's hand towards hers and striding through the crowd, dragging Scott behind her.

When they were finally outside, Jean turned to Scott and released him. "Are you finished yet?"

Instead of answering, Scott drove his fists into the nearest wall. For the moment, it was all he could manage.

"Scott!" Jean cried, grabbing his arms as he drew them back for another swing. _Scott, stop; this isn't helping anyone! _

Scott still couldn't bring himself to speak, only to clench his fist and struggle against Jean's grip. Grunting with effort, Jean fed her telekinesis into her grip. _Scott, what about Alex?_

At the mention of his brother, Scott finally stopped fighting and instead collapsed into Jean's arms. Wrapping her arms around him, Jean searched her own mind for the right words. _Scott …?_

_He's gone, Jean … they're all gone … I've lost them …!_

This time, Jean needed to psychic power to sense where Scott's mind was. Torn from his family, Scott had known only loneliness for most of his childhood. Even after Xavier had found him, the loss had stuck with him; only when Alex was found alive did the hole begin to close.

Now, Alex was gone again, beyond Scott's help …

_Scott_, Jean sent, trying to interrupt the turmoil emanating from Scott. _You're not giving up on him already, are you?_

"I NEVER …" Scott shouted, shooting a furious glare at Jean. Realizing who he was shouting at, Scott took a deep, shuddering breathe and looked back at the ground.

"I know," Jean answered, cupping Scott's chin and lifting his gaze to meet hers. "We'll find him, Scott." Standing up, she continued. "But let's call in reinforcements first."

[

**Xavier Institute**

"Leaving already?" Xavier asked, watching Evan gather his few possessions from his room.

Evan wouldn't look at Xavier. "I'm not wanted here, Professor."

"Come, now, Evan," Xavier chided, wheeling into the room. "You know that's not true; there are many people here who are glad you've returned to us."

"They have a funny way of showing it," Evan spat as he grabbed a pillow.

Xavier sighed as Evan turned to leave. "Then, if you truly intend on packing your things, you might want to take this along," he offered, holding out a small tape.

Evan glanced at the tape. "What is it?"

"It's the video you made several years ago." Xavier smiled slightly. "I believe it was about something important to you."

"What?" Evan asked.

Before Xavier could answer, his cell phone cut in, drawing sighs from both mutants.

"Xavier Institute," Charles answered, watching Evan stalk out of his room.

"Professor?"

"Scott? What is it?"

--------------------

"It never rains, but it pours," Hank sighed, his eyes fixed on the computer screen as he attempted yet another search. After hearing from the distraught Scott, Xavier had called the rest of his senior instructors to the War Room to fill them in and decide on their next move. Not that they had much to go on.

"Anyone else seeing a pattern here?" growled Logan.

"I'm afraid so," Xavier answered grimly. "Alex, disappearing less than a day after Cerebro is taken."

"But how could they have figured it out that quickly?" Ororo questioned.

"They wouldn't need to; they took Cerebro's main archives with them," Hank answered grimly. "That's plenty of data to make start a search on."

"A search that results in kidnapping mutants, leaving no trace behind," Xavier finished.

Logan growled. "Which mean's Scott's bro could be on the other side of the globe for all we know."

"And no Cerebro to search for him," Ororo stated.

Xavier sighed, his head bowed. "Then we have to go after the source. Logan: any ideas who could be behind this?"

Logan grunted. "Well, they disappeared the kid without making a scene or leaving a mess behind … sounds like professionals … it's gotta be somebody high up pulling the strings."

"Unfortunately, this 'somebody' neglected to document their little 'job' in the databank," Hank muttered, swivelling to face the group. "I'd say they're both buried in the midst of 'somebody's' private little agenda."

"Somebody who could produce a false warrant and influence an FBI agent into serving it," Xavier mused.

"Which begs the question: how do we find someone so well positioned?" Ororo put in.

Xavier was silent for several moments as he pondered the problem. Suddenly, he wheeled over to the nearby phone. "Cerebro and Alex are lost in the dark; perhaps it is time we shed some light."

[

**Homeland Security**

Deep in paperwork and raw data, Valerie Cooper was unprepared for her phone's intrusion into her work. Grumbling, she reluctantly dropped the psychological profile of Magneto she had been studying and picked up the receiver that had just earned her hatred. "Cooper."

"Ms. Cooper? I'm not sure you remember me, but …"

"Professor Xavier." Surprise was part of her job, and Valerie had long since trained herself to not be affected. "Should I ask how you got my direct line?"

"I have a few friends in Washington myself," Xavier answered. His hard, serious tone caught Valerie off guard; he had not been like this when she had visited them.

"And you're calling because …?" Valerie asked, letting the question hang; she hated beating around the bush.

"I was simply inquiring as to your progress on the device you seized from my school; I would like to know when it will be returned."

Valerie sat up straight. "Excuse me?"

"Please don't play games, Ms. Cooper. Recently, my school was searched by federal agents, including one Timothy Haldor. They claimed to be searching for evidence against Magneto. And, since you recently tried to enlist my team…"

"Hold on, Professor." Even for Valerie, this news took her aback. "Is this a joke? What search?"

"It occurred only yesterday morning, Ms. Cooper; I still have surveillance tapes of their arrival and departure. Also," Xavier continued without pause, "I feel I should mention that they showed me a warrant that, to my knowledge, does not appear within federal court records. I sincerely hope I don't have to take my findings to CNN …"

"Professor!" Valerie interrupted, finally silencing Xavier. "I'm afraid I have no idea what you are referring to."

Xavier was silent for several moments before answering. "Perhaps. Personally, I hope you are lying to me, Ms Cooper, because if you're not, then it means that one of your organization's hands is pursuing its own agenda, and has performed an illegal search in the process." Xavier took a breath before continuing. "I pray, Ms Cooper, that you and your superiors aren't letting that stand." Without another word Xavier hung up.

Valerie stared at the phone, mystified. _He has to be joking; no one could make such a high-profile search without me hearing about it._

Then again, Xavier had to have called in quite a few favours to get her direct line; would he do that just to make a joke?

But if he wasn't lying …

With that thought, Valerie punched in her own number. _I need some answers myself_.

[

**Warehouse**

Lyler sighed as his cell phone rang. Picking it up, he grunted "Lyler."

"Any progress?" Gyrich asked without preamble.

Lyler rolled his eyes. "Sure, if you count knocking out three more of my people trying to get this damn thing working as 'progress'." He sighed and glanced around. "Don't tell her I said this, but I think Brickman was right on the money about this machine needing a mutant mind; I don't suppose you have any to loan."

"Not at the moment. Anyway, keep trying; I'll be in touch," Gyrich ordered before hanging up.

"Sure; we'll get right on that," Lyler muttered as he took out another pack of Cloves.

Inside most of the other assistants had gone on break, except for one.

At the moment, Mallory Brickman was hunched over Cerebro, glancing furtively about.

Finally, after what seemed like an interminable wait, her laptop finally chimed, signalling the completion of its download.

Quickly, Mallory grabbed the disk and hid it inside her coat pocket. Now to put her face on until she was dismissed.

[

**Warehouse**

_Kid looks like hell_ thought Niles as he peered into the room. After Gyrich left, Fisk had ordered them to check the mutants every hour. "_If they're dead, I want 'em gone_" were his exact words.

Yet again, the short, blonde kid was sprawled near the wall, his slow and unsteady movements giving away his weakening condition. _Why do they never let us in on why we're holding these people?_

Conscience wasn't part of his job; they had taught him that much in Iraq while guarding prisoners. Then again, he'd never much liked Iraq …

"Aww, what the hell," he grumbled as he pulled a half-eaten energy bar from his pocket.

Walking into the room, he kneeled near the mutant and whispered, "Here. Just don't mention where ya got these," as he placed his bar and water bottle next to the kid's face.

Quickly, Niles hurried out of the room and shut the door, praying that nobody had been watching the security cameras. _Oh well; not like he could break out with that stuff._

Inside the room, Alex's thoughts were far from escape. Instead, they were focused on picking up and breaking apart the bar, a simple task that was becoming his toughest exercise.

Finally pulling his two halves apart, he quickly slid the larger piece through his makeshift hole. "Lorna?"

"Alex?" her voice came back, sounding at least as weak as he felt. "Where did you get that?"

"Who cares?"

Lorna scoffed as she tore into the bar. Who, indeed?

[

**New York** **Metro Station**

Evan looked up as the familiar roar of the subway filled the tunnel. He had often travelled with the Morlocks this way, only they had had to settle for lying on the roof, keeping their heads down.

Homelessness; it was hardly a new feeling for Evan.

What was missing this time was the company.

Less than an hour before, he had left the Institute behind and decided to hitchhike a subway into the city; there were plenty of mutant-haters there to take care if, even on his own.

On his own. Though he had always insisted on handling things himself, the old Evan would never have imagined having no family or friends to fall back on.

Not that he'd go back to the Institute. What for? So he could get tied down by Xavier while the rest of the students avoided him like the plague?

He snorted as he quietly climbed aboard the roof of the subway. Things had changed.

[

**Federal Bureau of Investigation – New York Field Office**

Under other circumstances, Haldor would have been pleased to find a woman waiting for him in his office. Who knew where things would go …

Unfortunately, with his boss Austen standing right next to her, with the glare he knew all too well, Haldor's imagination took on different scenarios, none of which he hoped to experience.

"Timothy, this is Valerie Cooper, NSA," Austen began, the glare not fading. "Why don't you have a seat?"

Knowing when to stay on his boss's best side, Haldor obediently sat before the NSA lady.

"Agent Haldor," Cooper began, standing directly in front of Haldor while scanning the folder in her hand. "It seems you've been a busy man these days."

Haldor glanced at Austen. Seeing no help there, he turned back to Cooper. "I'm not sure I follow, ma'am."

Cooper finally peered at him over the folder. "I mean your little foray into Bayville …" she glanced again at the paper "… with several tactical teams in tow."

Haldor froze for a second before he recalled his impassive face. "I'm sorry, but I don't know …"

"Watch yourself, Timothy," Austen quietly warned.

Before Haldor could speak again, Cooper was already continuing. "You see, Agent Haldor, we have our own operations here in Bayville. It is, after all, a bit of a hot spot for terrorist activity." Flipping to another page in her folder, she added, "And, just this morning, I received a report from one of my agents about your car and several vans paying a visit to the Xavier Institute."

Haldor shifted uncomfortably; he had never been on this side of the interview.

"I don't recall any such request from you, Timothy," Austen put in. "I hope you at least had a warrant for your visit?"

"Oh, don't worry about that; I'm sure we'll find it in the system," Cooper interrupted. "Right?" she asked Haldor.

Cooper raised her eyebrows as she looked down at Haldor; the man looked ready to sink into the floor. Finally, he spoke. "What do you want from me?"

It was too easy, sometimes. "The evidence on Magneto; where is it?"

[

**Warehouse**

Lyler looked up as he heard the familiar screech of tires. _What in the …?_

Several unmarked cars were already pulling into the warehouse lot.

Lyler rushed out towards the lot. _Who do these people think they are?_

As Lyler approached, a short woman was already stepping out of one of the cars, her face hard and set.

"What the hell are you people doing here?" Lyler demanded.

Without breaking his gaze, the woman snapped her fingers, at which point several suited men emerged from the cars, most with their hands in their jacket pockets.

"I'm Valerie Cooper, NSA. These gentlemen are my escort," the woman stated, indicating the suited men that were taking up positions around her and Lyler. "I believe you're holding a lead on Magneto?"

"Uhh, well …" Lyler began. Before he could begin thinking of an explanation, his cell rang.

"Let me get that." Before Lyler could even blink, Cooper reached forward, plucked the phone from his pocket, and flipped it open.

"Lyler? I hope you have some progress to report this time." Valerie narrowed her eyes; Henry's voice was unmistakable, even over a cell phone. He'd always been sly and furtive when it came to his operations, but this …?

"Henry? I hope I'm not interrupting."

[

**Washington**

Gyrich hung up the phone, aghast. How the hell had Valerie ended up on Lyler's cell phone?

As if that mattered now. If Valerie had Lyler, and, by extension, his Cerebro operation, then she wasn't going to stop. Though she appreciated the need for secrecy, Valerie was known for making scenes within agencies and oversight committees whenever she believed agents were 'crossing the line.' Knowing her, Gyrich knew immediately that she would not stay quiet about something like this.

Gyrich cursed to himself as he reached for his private phone, one he kept handy for calls he had to make off the record.

[

**Warehouse**

"You're kidding."

"I wish I were, Fisk, but she's on the warpath now; it's only a matter of time before she tracks down your little warehouse too."

"So what do you want to do?"

"The operation's over; get rid of everything and clear out." Fisk knew well what Gyrich meant, though one little detail remained.

"And the prisoners?"

"I said _everything!_"

--------------------

Fisk was not one to waste time. Minutes after he hung up on Gyrich, four of his men were sent down to 'take care' of the prisoners.

Alex, somewhat refreshed by the snack left by the guard, had just managed to pull himself into a sitting position when his door burst open. Before he could even blink, he was being hauled to his feet and dragged out into the hall. _Not again._

"Take them to the balcony; we'll drop them in the river."

Alex blinked. _What …?_

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Lorna being dragged by her own pair of guards.

"I thought they were supposed to be half-dead!"

"No matter; just get 'em outta here."

Without warning, one of the guards screamed in pain and let go of Lorna, his hands moving to clutch his own groin.

Lorna's other captor shot her a furious look and knocked her to the ground with his own backhand.

Furious as he'd never been, Alex lunged toward Lorna's guard, surprising his own guards, only to be grabbed and thrown to the floor. Alex groaned and rolled over, clutching his hands; for some reason, they were hurting more than the rest of his body.

"Fuck this!" Lorna's guard swore as he drew a knife. "I say we do 'em right here!"

"Did ya not hear the boss? He wants this clean; you know, as in no mess?"

"Fine; I won't leave one," Lorna's guard replies as he returned the knife to his belt. Instead, he straddled Alex and wrapped his large hands around his throat.

Alex desperately pulled at the man's wrists. By now, even the pain in the hands was far from his mind.

Grunting in pain, Lorna reached out, only to be grabbed by two other men.

Alex glared up at the guard as he desperately tried to take a breath. Only the growing pain in his hands kept him from passing out.

Even the outside world was a blur; only the flash of green clued him in.

_Lorna …_

His hands were burning.

[

**New York Warehouse District**

Evan thought he'd found a quiet place to hide among the warehouses.

The quiet did not last long.

Without warning, the roof on a nearby warehouse exploded as a red-orange beam fired through it, dropping a figure into the nearby water.

_There a fight going on?_ Evan wondered.

[

**JFK** **Airport**

"What the hell is that?" one of the passengers wondered aloud.

Scott and Jean turned to join the onlookers.

It looked as though someone was firing a red-orange beam at the sky itself, some distance away.

The sight was not unfamiliar to Scott. "Jean …?"

"Scott, it's Alex," Jean exclaimed; she had already been reaching out with her telepathy. "I think he's in trouble!"

"C'mon, let's go!"

Within minutes, they were both on the road, Scott driving more recklessly than he ever had in his life; his mind wasn't much on the law right now.

_Hang on, Alex._

Then, suddenly as it had appeared, the beam vanished.

[

**Warehouse**

Alex grunted and rolled over as his blasts cut out. Even when swimming for his life in the Hawaiian storm, he had not felt so spent.

"Alex, come on," Lorna snapped, grabbing his shoulder. The guards had retreated from Alex's blast, but Lorna couldn't count on them waiting long.

"Uhhh … I can't …" Alex moaned, struggling to lift his hands. "I'm spent."

Lorna growled in frustration and grabbed Alex's arm, dragging him after her.

"Lorna, just … get outta here!" Alex tried to argue, though with his energy he could barely whisper.

"Is that what they do in your family?" Lorna grunted as she stopped dragging for a second.

Alex managed to look at her face again. "No."

"Then will you get a move on?" she hissed.

"You muties ain't movin' anywhere."

Lorna gasped. The retreating guards now stood before them, blocking the hallway. Lorna quickly dragged herself between Alex and the group.

"Aww, ain't that sweet," one of them grinned.

"Just get 'em in the river already; we're outta time!" came a voice through his radio.

"Not a problem," the man grinned as he stalked toward Lorna and Alex.

He had barely taken two steps when he found his toe pinned to the ground by a long heated spike. A large, humanoid shape landed beside it.

"You sure?" it sneered, grabbing the spike and pulling it from the screaming guard.

--------------------

In the security room, Fisk shook his head. _What a cluster-fuck._ On screen, the armoured mutant was already hurling his stick at his men, driving them to the floor.

_So much for a clean-up_. Quickly, Fisk reached into one of his drawers and grabbed the MP-10 and grenades he had kept for emergencies. He'd just have to take out the mutants, then blow the building; with any luck, it would be written off as a mutant brawl gone out of control. _Wouldn't be far off, anyway_.

--------------------

Evan watched as the men got up; these guys were good.

"Spread out!" one of them yelled. Evan extended his wrist spikes and risked a quick glance behind him; Alex appeared to be unconscious, while the woman next to him was struggling to get to her feet. _Looks like it's just me_.

With that thought, Evan launched himself at the group. The men in his path immediately shuffled out of his way, and Evan's spikes buried themselves in the floor instead.

Sensing victory, one of the nearby men drew a machete and thrust it down toward Alex's neck. Quickly, Evan pulled his right arm free of the floor and swung a spiked arm at the knife, shattering it. Before the man could even look shocked at the sight, Evan grabbed the floor and mule-kicked the man in the stomach, launching him into the opposite wall.

As Evan took a breath, he felt strong hands grab at his shoulder spikes. Grunting in surprise, he retracted them and spun his foot toward the man's side, only to find his foot caught in the man's arms.

"You got nice moves, mutie," the man grinned.

"How's this one?" Evan retorted, as spikes emerged from his shin and into the man's arms.

The man screamed as Evan pulled the spikes back and landed back in a fighting stance.

"Anyone else?" he demanded, shooting a glare at the guards still standing.

The guards glanced at each other, and drew their handguns. _Not again_, Evan thought as he threw himself in front of Alex and a surprisingly alert Lorna, his back to the men.

The guns fired.

Evan waited.

Risking a glance over his shoulder, he realized the bullets had stopped in midair.

Now Evan _and_ the guards could only stare in shock, until Evan looked back at Lorna and saw her clenching her fists.

Gritting her teeth with the effort, Lorna reached into her mind and _pushed._

The bullets flew back at the guards, who immediately shielded their eyes and ran from the corridor. Lorna dragged herself to her feet, breathing heavily.

"You okay?" Evan asked. Lorna nodded grimly.

Evan took a deep breath, then bent to look over Alex. "What happened?"

"I don't know … they stuck some drugs in us … then he …" she trailed off as she noticed movement down the hall. "Look …!" she was interrupted as a hail of bullets streamed down the hallway. Desperately, she pushed at the bullets.

For a few seconds, she dared to hope it was working, as she saw shells falling to the floor. Then, as the window shattered behind her, she realized how many she had missed.

Suddenly, Lorna felt a sudden pain in her shoulder, which propelled her back through the open window.

"No!" Evan reached for her leg, only to receive several bullets in his arm. Instinctively, he pulled it back toward him. _Man, I HATE guns!_

Hearing the click that signalled an empty chamber, Fisk quickly grabbed another magazine from his jacket and shoved it into the chamber with practiced ease. Aiming his rifle toward the downed mutants, he thought _One down, two to …_

His thoughts were interrupted by the red beam striking his rifle.

Floating above him, seeing Alex and Evan's condition, Scott's eyes flared with a fury no one could see. Then his gaze turned toward Fisk

"Just get me down there," he responded coldly. Sighing, Jean relented and lowered him to the floor.

Scott's eyes had not left Fisk. "What did you do to him?" he asked icily.

"To who?" Fisk tried, before a low-power optic blast knocked him on his back.

"Try again." Grabbing Fisk by his collar, Scott hauled him to his feet and shoved him against the wall. "What did you want with him?!" he demanded, firing a small blast into the wall near Fisk's head.

"Classified!" Fisk grunted.

Scott let out a furious yell as he threw Fisk to the floor and put a hand to his visor.

"Scott, no!" Jean called. His mind had closed itself off; now she could sense only anger from him.

Paying Jean no attention, Scott continued. "Who put you up to this?!"

Fisk shook his head. "No way I'm goin' there, kid." He flinched as the concrete next to his head crumbled under another optic blast.

Scott crouched down and brought his face close to Fisk's. "What was that?"

"Your wasting your time, kid!" Fisk sneered. "I don't have to tell you shit! Besides, it wouldn't matter either way; you muties'll all get yours eventually!"

Scott slowly stood up, staring down at Fisk. "Have it your way."

_SCOTT!_ Jean screamed mentally as Scott unleashed his optic powers.

Instead of firing straight at Fisk, however, Scott drilled into the concrete surrounding him. Fisk gave Scott one last confused look before the floor below him gave away, dumping him one floor below.

Without another thought, Scott turned and ran towards the bodies on the floor. "Alex?" he demanded, kneeling next to his brother. The younger blonde was not moving.

"Scott, he's okay," Jean assured him as she landed next to Evan. "Trust me; he's just sleeping it off"

Scott nodded worriedly, then turned his gaze toward the other mutant. "Evan? How'd you end up here?"

Evan shrugged. "I was out for a walk, saw the fireworks …." he trailed off.

"Uh-huh," Scott deadpanned as he stood up, with Alex draped over his shoulder, still staring at Evan.

Evan growled under his breath. "All right, I was looking for a new place to stay; I couldn't take much more of the Institute anyway."

Scott simply nodded. "All right. So what now? You coming or not?"

"Scott …" Jean chided.

"I mean it; we could sure use you watching our backs, but it's your call," Scott interrupted, staring directly at Evan.

Evan looked at Jean, then at the unconscious Alex.

"We'll try to be better hosts this time," Jean put in. "Think you can put up with us?"

Evan stared for several seconds before snorting under his breath. "Sounds like a challenge."

Scott finally allowed himself a small grin. "All right. Jean, get us out of here before the police catch us."

"Uh, just throwing it out there, but shouldn't we stay and tell them what happened?" Jean asked as she lifted the group through the hole in the ceiling.

"What would you tell them?" Evan asked.

Jean sighed as she cast another glance at the ruined warehouse, and the approaching sirens in the distance. "You got me."

[

**Xavier Institute, 2 Days Later**

"How is he?" Xavier asked as Hank stepped outside the infirmary.

"Resting," Hank replied, removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes. "Whoever took him left a real chemical stew in his blood; mainly sedatives, from what I could tell."

"Right here in New York." Xavier shook his head. "I still can't fathom it."

"Hey Chuck," Logan called as he stepped into the hallway. "We got a visitor at the gate."

--------------------

"This is a pleasant surprise, Ms. Cooper," Xavier remarked as they watched Hank and Logan assist Cooper's men in unloading Cerebro's components from the large van.

"Don't get excited, Xavier," Cooper responded brusquely without looking at Xavier. "I'm only returning it because there was nothing useful to find."

"Even if it was seized illegally?" Xavier queried.

Cooper finally glanced at Xavier. "There's not much I wouldn't do to find him."

"Can you tell me who instigated this?"

Cooper shook her head. "He'll be too busy to do it again for a while, though," she added, her thoughts on Gyrich's quiet reassignment.

"_Station Chief in Genosha? Are you kidding?" he had yelled, staring at Val._

_Valerie stared back, unfazed. "Not my call, Henry; if it were, you wouldn't be getting off this easy," she stated as she turned and headed for the door._

"_I was just trying to protect our citizens!" he yelled at her back._

"_And who were you protecting this time?" she called over her shoulder._

"Still keeping a lid on things," Xavier murmured, wrinkling his brow.

"That's part of my job, Professor." Staring back at him, she continued. "Even you must know the need for secrets."

"Whatever do you mean?"

Cooper waved a hand at Cerebro. "You've been collecting data on mutants for years with that machine, Professor; yet, even after mutants were exposed, you never shared this data. Why?"

Xavier's expression darkened. "One of my reasons is in my infirmary recovering from beatings and near-lethal sedation." Seeing Cooper blanch slightly, he continued. "I believe he was found using Cerebro's archives; therefore, until those in authority can be trusted with that data, I feel it's best I keep my own secrets for now."

Cooper nodded. "Then we do understand each other."

"I should hope so," Xavier responded. As Cooper began to head back toward her van, he added, "What I don't understand is where anyone got the idea that Cerebro detected Magneto."

"Why not?" Cooper asked over her shoulder.

"Because I've never been able to detect him."

Cooper paused for a second, then shrugged and continued on her way.

As the van finally sped out of the gate, Logan approached from the mansion and remarked. "Ya want my read, Chuck? That whole 'tip' was cooked up to get at Cerebro."

"I don't know, Logan," Xavier replied, his gaze still on the gate. "That doesn't explain how they knew of Cerebro's capabilities to begin with."

"Someone tipped them off," Logan put in. "With bad info," he added. He shook his head, snorting. "So we got someone else playing all of us."

"Which begs the question," Xavier went on. "What were they after?"

[

**Washington, West Side Apartment**

Mallory Brickman locked the door behind her; it had been a long debriefing after Cooper's entrance. Thankfully, no one had caught wind of the flash drive she had concealed inside her cell phone.

Feeling secure, she finally relaxed her concentration and allowed her facial features to drop, revealing the blue-skinned, hard-faced Mystique.

Picking up the cell phone she kept for private calls, she dialled the number for her employer.

He was quick to pick up. "Yes?"

"I have the data you asked for,"

"All of it?"

"Yes," she smirked, inserting the drive into her laptop and setting up the transfer program. "All the way back to when Cerebro was first built."

"Send it over, then," he replied flatly.

Mystique rolled her eyes as she initiated the transfer. Her boss seemed to take no joy in anything, even his work. "And the funds?" she asked.

"They will be in your account tomorrow morning. In the meantime, I have another task for you."

"What?" she asked, annoyed. This man was a slave-driver.

"My work is going faster than I anticipated; I'll need someone to keep a discreet eye on my … colleagues. Can you handle that?" he asked.

"I handled this job, didn't I?" she asked snidely.

"Just get it done," he snapped.

"Fine," she snapped back, only to realize he had already hung up.

--------------------

On the other end of the line, Nathaniel Essex rubbed his forehead. Mystique could be impossible to deal with sometimes.

On the other hand, she was nothing if not efficient. With the data from Cerebro, he could begin work on analyzing the growth in the mutant population. _You can never have too much data._

In the meantime, however, he had his current project to focus on. Closing the laptop, Essex moved over to his personal cabinet. His device needed work.

[

**Xavier Institute – Infirmary **

"I told you, bro, I'm not thirsty."

"Come on, Alex! You spend half your waking hours riding it!"

"That's saltwater, dude!"

"Doctor's orders …"

"I'm the patient; don't we call the shots?"

"Are you gonna make me go into big brother mode?"

Alex groaned, and snatched the bottle from Scott. His brother had been hovering over him ever since he'd woke up from what the blue, furry doctor had told him was a day-long nap.

"Is this why you never had kids, Auntie O'?" Evan asked Ororo as he slouched in the next bed over.

Ororo's cheeks darkened slightly as she answered. "I had enough headaches from one nephew." Despite the bullets lodged in his arm, Evan had steadfastly refused to stay in the infirmary until Logan threatened to 'borrow' one of his spikes and pin him to the bed with it. Knowing the man's temper, Evan finally relented.

Noticing Evan's frown, Scott added, "But, hey, what's another headache or two in this house, anyway?"

"I knew I shoulda brought the aspirin," Alex muttered, waving at Scott. "This guy'll give me a migraine before school."

"Shut up!" Scott laughed, giving his brother a playful shove.

"You should try working with him," Evan added, earning a slap on the back of the head from Ororo.

"A heavy price indeed," Xavier's voice rang out as he wheeled into the infirmary. "But I, for one, pay it gladly."

After another fond glance at the scene before him, Xavier focused his attention on Alex. "Alex, I have some good news: according to Hank, the drugs should be out of your system within a few days, provided you rest and drink lots of water," he added, nodding toward the water bottle in Alex's hand. Alex eyes widened slightly, and he quickly took a slug from the bottle. Smiling knowingly, Xavier went on. "Also, I just spoke with your foster parents and they're on their way down; they should arrive within the day."

Alex's face fell. "Alex?" Scott asked, noticing his brother's change in demeanour.

Alex glanced at Scott, then turned his attention back to Xavier. "Uh, well, about that, Prof…"

Silence greeted him as he struggled with his words. "I … I'm not sure I can go back with them."

"Why not?" Xavier asked gently.

"Well … after that massive lightshow I put on before I left …" Alex trailed off. How could he explain? That the secret he'd been hiding from his hometown for years was out? That he couldn't get to the airport without drawing frightened, angry glares from people he'd known his entire life? That the quiet life he'd chosen was over?

"Remember what I told you several years ago, Alex? Right after we escaped Asteroid M?" Xavier asked, interrupting Alex's brooding.

Alex looked up. "Yeah."

"That offer still stands, if you feel you are ready."

"But I'm _not _ready, sir," Alex replied, rubbing his hands. "Man, I never asked for any of this!"

"Get used to it," Evan interrupted. Despite the warning look from Ororo, he pressed on. "None of us asked for our powers, but we got them, and they're not going away." Looking down at his plated arms, he added, "At least you can turn yours off."

"Evan!" Ororo said sharply, but Alex was beyond caring. The spike man had a point; here he was complaining about little slips and headaches while others had to hide in the sewers or behind sunglasses like his brother.

"Alex, no matter what any of us may think," Xavier continued, frowning slightly at Evan, "this is still your decision, and no one else's."

Instinctively, Alex glanced at his brother.

"Hey, don't look at me," Scott said raising his hands. "You're a big boy, now, right?"

Alex snorted then looked down at his hands. They were already starting to ache again. Without any thought on his part they had blown the roof off a warehouse. Now they were just sending more jolts of pain through his arms. It was as though his powers were playing hide-and-seek on him.

For years, he'd been avoiding them, trying to keep them under wraps even after mutants were exposed to the world. By now, though, they were getting a bit too … _noisy_ to ignore.

Maybe it was time he started working on them.

Finally, he looked back at Xavier and asked, "Do I have to sleep in Scott's room?"

The room burst into chuckles at Scott's angry blush. "Can you put him back to sleep, Professor?"

Xavier shook his head, still chuckling. "We have plenty of room, Alex; I'm sure we can find you a spot."

_Plenty of room_ … "Uh, what about Lorna?"

That stopped the chuckles. "Lorna?" Xavier asked.

"Ya, the green-haired bab- I mean, girl who was with me. Can she come too?"

All traces of humour had fled everyone's faces by now, sparking Alex's suspicions. Evan in particular was looking away and clenching his fists.

Xavier sighed. "I'm sorry, Alex."

"For what?" Alex asked. Why was everyone so down all of a sudden?

"I'm afraid we couldn't find her."

[

**New York Warehouse District**

Lorna let out another pained breathe and sank down to the cold floor, leaning against a nearby crate. It had been a long day.

She glanced at the dirty rag she'd wrapped around her shoulder; fortunately, the bullet had been relatively easy, though painful, to cut out. She'd survived worse.

She only hoped Alex had gotten away, too; after swimming away from the burning warehouse she'd limped a good two miles before tending to her wound. _Must be all the metal around_ she mused, looking at the dock. For some reason, being near large amounts of metal gave her strength.

She sighed, wrapping her arms around her chest. _This wounds gonna get infected … got to find a pharmacy … jesus, you can never get a break on these streets …_

_No you can't._

Lorna gasped and pushed herself away from the crate. That voice, it sounded as though it was right next to her. All she could see was a rat, though …

_There's no point in running_ the voice continued in an amused tone.

"What do you want?" Lorna yelled, still scanning the shadowed dock.

The voice chuckled. _Nothing much; I just wanna enjoy my life like everybody else._

Lorna shuddered; she'd heard that tone from men before. "Get away from me, you FREAK!"

_Freak?_ the voice laughed. _Lorna, Lorna, you're hardly one to talk._

Lorna's confusion joined with her fear. "H-how do you know my name?" she asked rubbing her forehead; a headache had just begun building.

_Your mind is an open book to me, Lorna. I know you never had anything to do with your __real__ parents. I know you've lived among the street trash since you could walk and talk. And, correct me if I'm wrong, but it looks to me like you have some powers of your own._

"Get out of my head!" she screamed, clutching her aching head.

_What for? _When Lorna didn't answer, the voice continued. _You know, I used to be a real legend back in the colonial days; people would lock their doors at the sound of my name. _Lorna grunted as the dock spun about her. _Now, my name is meaningless and I am stuck sharing this dock with these stupid critters._

"Wh-who are you?" Lorna moaned. It was getting hard to focus, with the pain in her skull.

_Oh, that depends. You see, I'm in need of a new body. But trust me, we'll have LOTS of fun together_.

Lorna let out a scream as the pain swelled, until it was all she could feel.

**Author's Note**

For starters, I own nothing and all that.

Second, any thoughts on the story? High points? Improvements needed? This was my version of how Alex joins the X men (and, of course, meets Lorna.) Also, Mystique's employer is now revealed (though I'm sure many have guessed that by now,) and we see some of Gyrich's first attempts to 'contain' mutants.

Finally, a hint on the next chapter: one of the X men's past threatens the entire team, while a part of that same X man's future returns to that team.


	7. Past and Present Part 1

**Previously, On X Men Evolution**

"_World War II? I knew you were old, Logan," Xavier remarked._

"_It's about there that everything becomes a blank," Logan grunted._

"_I did such good work in those days," Cornelius chuckled._

"_Your enhancements represent quite the financial investments," Cornelius told Logan._

"_Someday, I'm gonna find out who had this done to me," Logan told Xavier._

"_You cloned me?" Logan hissed._

"_When she witnessed children having fun, loving families … unexpected hostilities emerged," Risman _

"_This is your fault!" X23 shouted, taking a swipe at Logan._

"_You couldn't control her," Logan sneered._

"_Everything I am is because of you!" X23 screamed._

"_Go!" Logan snapped. "I'll hold them off!" he insisted, pointing to the SHIELD helijets. After one last look at Logan, X23 ran._

"_I can't let this go, Logan!" Fury snapped._

"_You deserve this, Logan" Omega Red snarled. "You and all your Weapon X comrades."_

"_Look, Casper," a captive Logan snarled back. "I don't know what you're talking about."_

"_Kid, you and I have been through the same kinda things," Logan told X23. "And even though they took my memories away, I proved you can get beyond that."_

"_I wish they'd take **my**__memories away," X23 mumbled before stalking away into the forest._

"_Did you think they'd just let me go?!" X23 snapped. "The only way HYDRA and SHIELD will stop hunting me is … if I'm no longer alive."_

"_No! It doesn't have to be this way!" Logan yelled as he hung onto the ladder._

"_Yes it does," X23 shouted, kicking Logan loose. Minutes later, the entire ship went up in flames._

"_Where's the girl, Logan?" Fury demanded._

"_She didn't make it," Logan grumbled._

_As he was about to board the helijet, a faint scent caught Logan's attention, drawing a brief grin._

**[**

**Xavier Institute: 7 Years Earlier**

"_Ugghhh," the short, feral man grunted. rubbing his head and glancing around. White beds, the stench of antiseptics … Hospital? He hadn't collapsed near any hospital; did they have him back in their …?_

_Then he noticed the bald man sitting near him. "You …" he snarled weakly, clenching his fists as tightly as he could._

"_Easy, there," the bald man murmured raising his hands. "You were in quite a state when we found you; you need to recover."_

_The feral man snarled, but found he was still too weak to lift an arm. "What is this place?" he mumbled._

_The bald man smiled. "That depends on what you wish it to be."_

_He snorted. "Do I hear a sales pitch startin'?" he mocked._

"_Comes with the territory," the bald man quipped, coming forward on his wheelchair and reaching a hand out. "Charles Xavier."_

_The short man just stared at the hand until Xavier withdrew it._

"_Charles?" A young, dark-skinned woman poked her head in. "Oh … am I interrupting?"_

"_Not at all, Ororo," Xavier replied, waving the woman in. Neither of them noticed the once-over their patient gave her._

"_This is Ororo Munroe, one of my students," Xavier said. "Do you have a name?"_

_Logan_ _grunted. "Logan, I guess."_

_Several quiet days later, he had packed some supplies and was ready to sneak out when he had run into that professor again. "Leaving already?"_

_Logan_ _snorted. "I already thought about it, X; I work alone."_

"_If that's your choice, the door's open." Xavier watched as Logan hoisted the bag and headed out of the room. "And it will remain open if you wish to return," he called after him._

_Logan_ _sighed and turned to face Xavier. "You really want a guy like me here? Why?"_

"_Quite simply, I believe a 'guy like you' brings abilities that would be a tremendous help around here. But it's still your choice." Xavier replied. _

_Logan_ _snorted. "And what would a 'guy like me' be bringin'?"_

**[**

**Bayville** **Forest** – **Present Day**

When Bayville's vast forests were first sighted, several settlers had commented on the peaceful, unspoiled wilderness that greeted them. Centuries later, that myth still held force; even in the early twenty first century, those trying to entice tourists often cited the "peaceful, untouched spot of nature" that remained one of Bayville's main attractions. Some old habits die hard.

What few thought of, when they looked at the forest, was the unending, often violent conflicts that were as integral to nature as its growth of new life. Weed fought the grass, trees fought the fungus, predators fought prey for food and each other for territory. Each day within the forest brought forth a new series of battles for survival between its creatures. And, of course, when humans with their own weapons and agendas entered the fray, the conflict became even more destructive.

The current hunt was no exception.

The young mutant snarled with frustration as she narrowly dodged yet another blast. Whoever was shooting at her had been tracking her for nearly an hour now; somehow, they managed to locate her every time she thought she had lost them. _They came prepared_.

Hearing branches break to her left, the mutant instinctively leaped upward, dodging another blast and landing atop a stronger branch. Spotting the glint of stainless steel near the base, she immediately leaped downward towards the source.

The cyborg never knew what hit him; before he could even raise his weapon, the kid's feet were smashing into his face and driving him into the dirt.

Bouncing off of the cyborg, X23 quickly continued running. Having been bred and conditioned to be used as a weapon by others, she had been trained to handle situations at least as desperate as this. If she could just get enough of a lead, she could find a way to hide from whatever her pursuers were using to track her, and then …

While X23 went over her options, a lithe figure continued her pursuit, honing in on every slight noise ahead of her. Behind her, a team of men with cybernetic body parts and enhanced weapons followed.

Noting the downed cyborg, the assassin shook her head and signalled to Skullbuster, the leader of the team behind her. Nodding his masked head, the burly Australian with a weaponized right arm and scanners installed into his skull waved to his nearby subordinates.

X23 had just decided to seek out the nearest river to throw off her pursuers when she noticed several weapons firing behind her. Yet again, she leaped to avoid the blast.

Unfortunately, they weren't even bothering to aim this time; instead, they had fired a cluster of blasts in her general direction, leaving little room to dodge.

X23 cried out in pain as one of the bullets lanced through her shoulder. Grimacing, she rolled over, ready to continue running, only to feel something slam into and attach itself to her back.

As the cyborgs slowly approached, X23 writhed as jolts ran through her body, practically immobilizing her with the pain.

"How long?" asked the assassin, her eyes never leaving X23.

A short, muscular American shrugged. "I dunno; a day, maybe."

Nodding curtly, the assassin approached the downed X23, and knelt next to her. Glaring furiously, X23 attempted to lift a hand to strike, only to find it had become very heavy.

"Do not struggle, Weapon X," the lady whispered, noting X23 grimacing with effort. "Soon, your miserable existence will be brought to an end."

X23 snarled defiantly as she writhed in pain.

Her expression unflinching, the lady stood up and addressed the team. "All of you, you know your assignments; now we take the animal that spawned this creature." Few missed the rare flash of emotion at the mention of the 'animal.'

As the cyborgs walked away, X23 writhed as their words sank in.

_The animal that spawned this creature …_

"_Everything I am is because of you!"_

X23 growled. _Wolverine!_

[

**Xavier Institute**

"All right, Surf, yer up. Ice Cube, yer backin' him up," Logan barked as he watched the kids file into position. Fidgeting nervously, Alex stepped up to the start line while a more confident Bobby slid up on an ice slide.

From the control room, Scott watched as they took their positions. Having recovered from the drugs used by his kidnappers, Alex had finally decided to give the Danger Room a shot. So far, he'd been doing well, despite the obvious nerves; according to Alex, it was not too different from navigating waves, only he now had two feet on the ground.

Logan, on the other hand, was getting harder to understand than ever. His road trips were becoming more frequent, and, when at the mansion, he had been more withdrawn than usual.

Scott shook his head. Better to focus on the session for now; trying to figure out Logan was like trying to get directions from someone lost in a fog.

"GO!" Logan shouted. On cue, Bobby and Alex raced forward as the path before them came alive with flying metal orbs, gun turrets, and swivelling blades.

"Hey, dude, wait up!" Alex cried as Bobby pulled ahead, firing a spread of ice blades to ward off the orbs that converged on him. Alex grunted as one of the blades landed in front of him.

"Keep up!" was all Bobby would say as he sped away on his ice slide. Alex shook his head as he blasted another turret, resisting the temptation to blast the ice dude.

"Alex, look out!" Scott called as a swarm of orbs pulled towards Alex's back. After yelping in surprise, Alex began firing a volley of blasts toward the swarm. Unfortunately, that left his back open.

Alex cried out again as the blast slammed into the ground behind him, pitching him to the steel floor.

"Alex!" Scott cried out, hitting the safety shutoffs.

"Hey, what gives?" Bobby complained as the nearby turrets retracted .

"Ya left yer teammate behind, that's what 'gives'," came a snarl he knew all too well. Bobby gulped as he turned to face it.

He had only glimpsed Logan for a second before the larger man grabbed him by the uniform and slammed him against the wall. "You ever pull those stunts in here again, and you'll be running it _without_ safety shutoffs! You got me?!" Logan snapped.

A shocked Bobby stammered incoherently.

"I ASKED YOU A QUESTION!!" Logan roared, extending the claws in his free hand. Still too shocked to speak, Bobby nodded almost frantically.

Grunting, Logan finally released Bobby, who slid to the floor leaving a cold trail of ice. "Session's over; everyone out," Logan snapped as he walked straight out the door, leaving the class staring after him in shock. He didn't look back.

Shocked as the rest of the students, Scott took a few seconds before remembering himself and reaching for the intercom. "All right, you heard the man; Alex, you might want to pay McCoy a visit; everyone else, hit the showers."

As the exhausted students walked stiffly toward the exit, most couldn't help mulling over what they'd just seen.

"Man, what is _with_ that guy?" grumbled Jubilee.

"Ya, Ah don't think I've ever seen him _that_ mad," added Sam.

"Maybe he's in the middle of his period or something," joked Tabitha, drawing snickers from most of the students.

"Will you guys knock off the gossip?" Jean snapped.

"_Ja_, zhe man's had a hard life," Kurt added, rubbing his head.

"Right. So he just _had_ to go postal on me," grumbled Bobby as he joined the group.

"Yeah, about that …" Alex glared as he approached Bobby, his hands glowing.

"Alex!"

As Jean tried to separate the two boys, Kitty leaned toward Rogue and whispered, "Maybe we should, like, go see him." Rogue nodded; Logan _had _been acting weird lately; maybe a quiet chat would help him out.

--------------------

Logan was already in the midst of the most private of chats as he stalked toward the garage; he needed some air.

_Who d'ya think yer kiddin'?_ _She don't want to be found._

_Should at least find out why she's hangin' around …_

_It's none of yer damned business!_

_Will you just shut----_

"Logan?" A hand on his arm startled him out of his reverie.

"Uhhhh… Ro," he hesitantly greeted. The resident weather goddess had gone out during the training session to gather more seed for the garden she was making out back, a task she had enlisted Rogue and Kitty to help out on.

"Are you all right?" she asked, her blue eyes staring intently at Logan.

As gently as he could manage, Logan shook Ororo's arm off. "Fine, Ro; just need some air." This, whatever it was, was something he did _not_ need at the moment.

"Are you sure?" she asked, not entirely convinced. When he didn't answer, she reached out and took his hand. "Logan …?"

"I'm fine!" he snapped as he quickly snatched his hand away and stormed into the garage, slamming the door behind him.

Ororo blinked. Logan had always been difficult to reach, but this … her thoughts were interrupted as Kitty's voice. "Man, he, like, better not have another chip in his head." Ororo turned to look at Kitty as she and Rogue rounded the corner, both looking concerned. "'Cause I am _not_ getting dragged to Canada for another deathmatch."

"Kitty …" Ororo warned.

"I'm serious! You, like, should have seen him; he was ready to _kill _Bobby!"

Ororo raised an eyebrow. That _was _extreme, even for Logan.

"I wish I knew what he is dealing with," Ororo mused looking back at the garage door.

"Maybe you've been comin' on too strong," Rogue muttered.

Ororo's head snapped toward Rogue. "What?!"

"Uh, run," Kitty whispered, grabbing Rogue's hand and phasing them both through the wall.

Ororo sighed and shook her head. Plants were easier to handle.

[

**Bayville Freeway**

Logan took another deep breath as he roared down the highway. Her scent still lingered, as it had for the past week.

_What are you doing here, kid?_

When he had seen her last, she'd been kicking him loose from the HYDRA mobile base moments before it went up in flames. She'd made it clear that she'd wanted nothing to do with the Institute. In addition, with HYDRA gone and her declared dead, all manhunts were over.

Why was she hanging around?

[

**Bayville** **Forest**

X23 grunted in pain as she limped along the path. Though her healing power had quickly kicked in, she could feel her body slowly weakening.

Panting as she hadn't in years, X23 leaned against a tree. She needed to assess the situation.

_In a nutshell: you're dead before sundown if you don't get that machine out of you!_

Groaning with effort, she ignored the pain in her shoulder and attempted to scrape the attachment off.

She was rewarded with more pain. The instant the blade touched the small part, X23 found her self paralyzed by a wave of electricity coursing through her metallic bones. Only when she jerked the claw away did it stop.

X23 snarled. That device appeared made for someone like her; she would need help to remove it. Which meant …

_Great; the one place I wanted to stay clear of. _

[

**Bayville Freeway**

Logan took another deep breath. Her scent was getting stronger. Maybe this time he could get close enough to …

Logan snorted in surprise and screeched to a stop as another scent hit him. Stainless steel, cybernetic parts … cherry blossoms?

"_Logan-san!" she had cried out as he finally stepped through the door. Into their home._

"_Said I'd be back, didn't I, darlin'?" he grunted good-naturedly, grinning at the beauty before him._

_Her only answer was to wrap her lean arms around him and bring her face close to his …_

Logan smashed his head against the motorcycle; that scent had triggered memories that had been lost to him for years, memories with baggage he'd long locked away to survive. Now, the doors were beginning to open.

Lost in memory, Logan failed to notice the lithe figure watching him at a distance. It had been too long she had been searching for the animal, and yet not long enough.

Without taking her eyes off the mutant, she spoke coldly into her communicators implants. "I have him sighted; move in now."

[

**Outside Xavier Institute**

X23 muttered incoherently as she dragged herself toward the gates. When she'd last seen this place, it had been a mission for her, a target to infiltrate and take down.

Now, she was back at an old target, revisiting old enemies. This time, however, she was here to seek their help.

The irony did not even occur to X23; her whole life had been tied to set objectives and dangerous scenarios that did not leave room for serious thought, or anything else outside survival.

At the moment, the scenario was simple: she was dying, and her attackers were hunting for Wolverine. Her objective: warn him before they found him, and maybe get that device off while she was at it. Not hat she'd given much thought on what to do if she survived.

Finally, X23 found herself before the large gates. Already, she could spot several figures working outside. _One big, happy family_ she thought bitterly.

--------------------

Xavier looked up from Cerebro as he felt the faint signature, which flared briefly before disappearing.

Xavier frowned: something about it seemed familiar. And its location …

--------------------

"Could you pass the bonemeal, Rogue?" Ororo asked politely. After hesitating briefly, Rogue picked up the bag and reached through Kitty towards Ororo.

Ororo amusedly shook her head as she took the bag. "And, for the last time, I'm not mad at anyone." As she began to sprinkle the powder into her freshly dug hole, she continued. "I just don't need to hear gossip about my love life."

Rogue shot Kitty a sly look as she sprinkled her seeds into the hole she had claimed. "Ah never mentioned yer _love life_, Ororo."

Kitty giggled quietly until she noticed Ororo's glare. "Rogue! Are you, like, in desperate need of thunderstorm right now?!"

Rogue shrugged. Ororo just shook her head as she began to dig another hole. Hating the silence, Kitty leaned toward Ororo and whispered "If she keeps this up, just, like, ask her about the card under her pillow." Ororo raised an eyebrow.

"KITTY!" The shout was quickly followed by a clump of dirt landing on the back of Kitty's neck. Instinctively, Kitty phased her body against further assaults. Unfortunately for Ororo, Kitty was never too careful about phasing under fire.

"Uh oh," Rogue mumbled, noticing the dark glare on Ororo's dirt-streaked face.

--------------------

_Focus!_ X23 told herself as she limped toward the gate. Her limbs were getting heavier now; it was taking all of her strength to lift an arm above her waist.

She looked over the gate. She was in no condition to climb now, let alone sneak into the mansion. _Oh well; have to get their attention eventually._

Grunting with the effort, X23 raised an arm and struck.

--------------------

The faint clang that rang through the air brought an abrupt halt to the dirt flying back and forth.

"What was that?" Kitty asked, before Xavier's voice rang in their head. _X men, gather at the gates immediately; we have an intruder_.

"Let's go!" Ororo ordered as she took to the air, covering Kitty and Rogue in more dirt.

"Ugh! Will we, like, never get a day off this summer?" Kitty moaned as she stood up and ran after Rogue.

Within minutes, the front lawn had filled with X men, all of them converging on the intrusion point while keeping an eye out in other directions, as Logan had taught them.

He had never covered what they found waiting for them at the gate.

"_You_," Rogue growled as she spotted the downed mutant. For her, and most of the other mutants, the memory of the girl singlehandedly taking down everyone at the institute was all too fresh.

"Rogue, no!" Ororo called as she spotted Rogue start to pull off her gloves. "Stay away from her!"

"She's right; everyone stay back!" Scott ordered, his hands on his glasses. By now, almost every mutant on the lawn had activated their powers and targeted X23.

"What's with everyone?" Evan asked, looking at all the battle-ready mutants. "Who's the girl?"

"That 'girl' nearly wiped us all out a few years back," Jean replied as she discreetly extended a telekinetic shield around the group. "What do you want with us?" she called out.

Evan took another look. "_That _girl?"

Indeed, though her claws were extended and her face glared back at the group, the girl was already swaying on her feet while her arms shook uncontrollably.

"What are you doing here?!" Scott demanded. X23 growled faintly in response, only to collapse a second later.

"Uh, is she, like, okay?" a surprised Kitty asked as she took a step forward.

"No, Kitty!" Xavier called as he wheeled toward the group. "Everyone stay back." Without another word, he put his fingertips to his temples. _Why are you here?_

X23 snarled as she writhed on the ground before them. Xavier could feel her mental shields going up upon first contact. _Where's Wolverine?!_

_Why are you looking for him? _Xavier asked. Though Logan had insisted her grudge against the X men was over, Xavier was still wary about the young clone, especially knowing what tricks she was capable of.

X23 snarled as a new wave of pain hit her. _Have to … warn …_

Xavier grimaced as he felt her coherent thoughts being overwhelmed by the building pain throughout her body. _A bit extreme for a ruse_, Xavier thought. He had to know more.

"Hank, get the girl to the infirmary immediately," Xavier ordered.

"Charles, are you sure …?"

"_Now_, Hank." Knowing Xavier's tone, Hank ran forward and hoisted X23 over his shoulder before running toward the institute.

"Professor …?" Scott began.

"The girl's pain was genuine, and she is hardly in any shape to start a fight," Xavier responded. Noticing Scott's worried expression remain, Xavier added. "But, just in case, I'll send Evan to help Hank watch over her. He's supposed to be in the infirmary anyway," he finished, glancing meaningfully at Evan.

Evan glanced his wrist as it occurred to him. "Oh. Yeah." There was still a bullet lodged in his armoured forearm.

As Evan ran after Hank, Xavier addressed the rest of the students. "Everyone else, I'll let you all know as soon as I know something; in the meantime, I'd advise you to all go back to what you were doing."

Though everyone kept glancing after the unconscious X23, the students finally relaxed their guard and began wandering back to their tasks.

In the meantime, Xavier had a new task to perform. Returning his fingers to his temples, he called out with his mind. _Logan?_

[

**Bayville Highway. **

_Logan!_

Logan snarled in surprise as Xavier's call brought him out of his reverie. _What is it, Chuck?! I thought I told you not to…!_

_Your clone just arrived at the mansion._

_???!!!!!_

_I believe she was trying to warn …_

Logan suddenly howled in pain as their 'conversation' was cut short as Logan was hit in the shoulder by something small, which was followed by a blinding flash of pain.

Snarling, Logan blindly swiped at the air, cutting through a small wire by sheer chance, only to feel two more attach itself to his chest.

Pain was nothing new to Logan. In fact, it was a running joke that hurting Logan was a bad idea; it just made him mad. But, despite the intensive conditioning aided by his healing factor, Logan was still human. He still had his limits.

Logan moaned as he felt his knees give out under him before oblivion filled his vision.

--------------------

Logan snarled as awareness finally hit him. Shaking his head, Logan opened his eyes and scanned the room.

Not that there was much to see. A small room, empty except for several indistinct figures standing near the door. The whole room vibrating, as though in motion. The nose had more to tell. Gun oil, hydraulics, several humans. Logan took another sniff. One all too familiar …

Logan lunged toward the figures, only to realize his limbs were tightly wrapped in metal restraints, similar to what that fanatic Trask had used on him years ago. Which meant this one was from Trask's old organization.

"Don't tell me ya missed me already," he growled.

One of the figures finally stepped forward until his face, patch, cold expression and all, was visible. "That'll be the day," he quipped softly.

"_Forget it, Patch, I'm done," Logan snarled, throwing his insignia over his shoulder as he walked away._

"_Logan!" his boss shouted, striding after him only to be met by three adamantium blades aimed __towards his throat. _

"_Last warning Fury; I'm letting you off easy today. Come near me again, I make no promises."_

"What's this about, Fury?" Logan snarled. "Ain't you busy playing with your Sentinel buddies?"

"They put the program on hold," Fury replied, lighting up a cigar. "Those machines were a little expensive for an op our government hasn't sanctioned yet."

"I didn't hear an answer," Logan growled.

After eying him for a moment, Fury replied. "Some old friends of ours are in town. The Reavers, to be exact."

"What?!" It seems every time Fury visited, he had some crisis that almost made Logan forget his promise to the man. "I thought we took them down years ago!"

"You're behind the times, Logan." Fury stood up and walked over to the window. "They've had years to recover; especially since you left their core members in one piece."

"I was a little busy," Logan grumbled.

"_Ay, he looks better than ever!" Pretty Boy laughed as Logan hit the floor, downed by Skullbuster's grenades._

"_This their ultimate weapon?" Skullbuster asked. "Oi hope they got a return policy!" The whole gang laughed out loud. _

"_Forget him; his friends are on their way," Bonebreaker snapped, wheeling toward their nearby plane._

"_Then let's leave them a little gift," Pretty Boy piped up._

_As the rest of the gang boarded the first plane, Logan snarled and struggled against the stakes impaling his shoulders and limbs. With a defiant roar he began pushing against the wall; with the wall behind him, he'd have to go the other way._

_When they found him, he had nearly drowned in his own blood._

"So what are they doing in Bayville?" Logan muttered. "The Outback get too small?"

Fury shrugged. "We're not sure. But I'm guessing it has something to do with you."

[

**Xavier Institute**

Scott was the first to notice Xavier return, looking even more worried than before. "Professor, what …?"

"Scott, gather everyone in the War Room immediately."

--------------------

"Are you sure, Professor?" Kitty asked quietly. The room had gone dead silent when Xavier had gone over his brief contact with Logan. Logan, their trainer, their first line of defence, taken from them? For many, it barely seemed real.

Xavier grimly nodded, then continued. "And, from what I could tell, he was somewhere along the main Bayville highway when I lost contact."

"Then we should be on the move as well," Ororo stated, standing as gracefully as she could manage. Few had noticed the cold, rigid expression on her face, one she often adopted when her emotions were fighting to take control.

"Absolutely," Sam declared, standing as well. "We'll be suited up in a few -?"

"Actually, Sam, I would rather your team remained with the mansion for the moment."

"WHAT?! Professah …!"

"Sam, please; whoever has taken Logan may try to do the same for the rest of us. That's why I need some of us to remain here, in case the worse occurs."

Though his disappointment still showed, Sam obediently nodded.

"As for the rest, stick with your teams and stay in contact at all times."

--------------------

"Storm!" Jean yelled as Ororo roared past her and into the distance. "Wait up!"

"Forget it, Jean," Scott put in as he and Kurt ran toward the Velocity, while Kitty led Rogue, Warren, and Piotr into the Blackbird.

"I thought we were supposed to stick with our teams," Jean retorted as she ran up the ramp.

"Uhh, speaking of teams …" put in a new voice. Scott winced as he realized his brother was standing outside in full uniform. "Which one am I on?"

Scott shook his head. "No way, bro, you're staying at the mansion for this one."

"But …?"

"That's final!" Scott snapped as he pulled the ramp closed.

Alex snorted as watched the two aircraft take off. _Am I babysitting or being babysat?_

--------------------

In the distance, a figure spoke into his comlink. "Looks like the kiddies are runnin off."

The reply was swift. "Stay there. We may need them later. Pretty Boy, Skullbuster, you and your men follow them."

"Will do."

[

**Somewhere Over Bayville**

"I don't get it, Fury," Logan mused, still glaring suspiciously at his former CO. "You still haven't explained why yer takin' me on a ride with these extra seatbelts," he continued, rattling his restraints. "And don't try tellin' me yer tryin' to _protect_ me."

Fury took a long drag from his cigarrette before he spoke again. "The Reavers already hit several locations around the Pacific coast; mostly caches for arms and supplies," he qualified. His visible eye narrowed as he pulled a folder from his jacket. "Their latest hit was at one of our weapons testing facilities."

"Where's this going?" Logan snapped.

"They sliced clean through titanium-alloy walls, put about a dozen guards in the hospital, and made off with one of our latest experimental devices; all without so much as a glimpse on our security systems." Opening the folder, Fury frowned. "But the cuts in the walls, and in the guards' bodies, all contained traces of adamantium."

Logan growled; it was obvious where Fury was going.

Meeting Logan's narrowed eyes with his own, Fury lowered his voice. "I'm not going to ask you twice, Logan: Is that girl still alive?"

"Haven't seen her in three years," Logan lied, as smoothly as he could manage.

"That wasn't what I asked."

"Guess yer outta luck, then," Logan sneered.

"Logan!" Fury's color had risen; a rarity for the cold, ruthless field commander. "This girl just wiped out several of our operations, not to mention your own institute. How long are you going to keep covering for her?"

"Depends; how many years ya got on ya?" Logan retorted.

Fury straightened up sharply. "All right; you had your chance. We'll take her down without your help." He turned toward the cockpit. "In the meantime, you might as well get comfortable."

Logan snarled and strained against his restraints. Seeing no progress, he settled for yelling after Fury. "You gonna bury her next to Silver Fox, Fury?"

"Don't go there, Logan," Fury quickly replied without turning around.

"It's a little late for that," Logan snarled as the memories of his last mission for SHIELD flared up. The grunts and smell of plasma as he and his partner Silver Fox took control of the Reaver's plane; the roar of Fury's stealth fighters as they closed in on the aircraft; the static that responded to Logan's calls to the aircraft; the wave of heat and vibrations as the missiles slammed into the aircraft, swallowing Silver Fox up in the explosion …

"I did what I had to do," Fury replied, his voice quieter than usual.

"Funny," Logan sneered. "You said the same thing when you made yer house call."

Fury shook his head; Logan's words were calling up memories he had shelved way, memories of one of the worst decisions he'd had to make as a SHIELD field operative. "You're living in the past, Logan," he finally managed, turning to face Logan. "What good's it done you?"

"More than you've done living up in the clouds," Logan growled.

For a second, Fury merely stared at his old friend that he'd now chained up. Then, without another word, he turned and marched into the cockpit settling next to the pilot, who glanced his way. "What was that about?"

"Never happened, trooper."

--------------------

Watching the aircraft through her enhanced eyes, the assassin triggered her comlink. "Converge on my position; the target has gone airborne."

[

**Xavier Institute**

X23 wasn't sure what she noticed first; the steady pressure on her back, the rush of air into her nose bringing scents of antisceptics and other medicines, or the sound of large feet shuffling towards her. What she was sure of as she slowly regained consciousness was simple: she was unconscious in a room with doctors present. As she opened her eyes, she acted on instinct born from memory.

Reaching out, she snatched the first arm within reach – a large, blue-furred one, she instinctively noted. Pulling the arm toward her, she pushed up with her feet and hurled the surprised mutant over the bed towards the other end of the room.

"Hey!" Snapping her attention towards the voice, X23 noted another mutant, about her age, standing in the doorway with spikes extending from his wrists. "If it's a fight you want …" he began.

Never one to wait to be attacked, X23 hurled herself toward him. A surprised Evan threw himself to the side, barely avoiding her attack.

X23 grunted as her blades embedded themselves in the doorjamb. Sensing the spike-mutant coming toward her, she raised both feet and slammed them into him, sending him to the floor.

Evan groaned as he pulled himself to his feet. _Even Rogue doesn't hit that hard_. Seeing the girl free herself from the doorjamb, Evan quickly extended spikes from every body part he could manage. "Let's see you do that again," he growled.

X23's eyes narrowed as she began to circle Evan.

"Or you could just _stay _back!" Evan shouted, firing a volley of spikes towards her. Quickly, X23 leaped out of the way, only to find another volley coming her way.

Hank shook his head as he watched the brawl. _Charles, I think you'd better get down here._

X23 landed, ready for another volley, as she planned her approach. When the spikes predictably shot toward her, she leaped upward, timing her airborne roll to push off the ceiling with her feet and dive toward Evan, shattering the spikes on his chest and landing in a crouch. Without pause, she thrust another clawed hand towards him. Twisting to avoid it, Evan quickly extended new spikes and twisted back.

X23 snarled as she found her arm tangled up in the spikes. Quickly she swung her free arm towards her captor's head, only to have it snatched from midair. _Your slowing down_ a familiar voice from her memories told her. Instinctively, as though fighting off the voice, she whipped her legs around the mutant's neck, dragging them both to the floor in a tangle.

_That's enough, both of you! _came a less familiar voice in her head. Wincing, X23 pulled herself free and hopped onto a table, claws ready.

"Miss, please," Xavier urged, raising his hands. "We're not looking to fight _or _detain you,"

X23 snorted, then gasped as she felt her legs buckle under her.

"Easy, there," Hank said, standing up slowly. "You had a device inside you that was draining your energy; we just removed it, but you still need …"

X23 silenced him with a snarl, then reached around her back with one hand. The spot where the device had lodged was bare. So they _had _helped her; for now, anyway. Without lowering her hands, she snapped. "What do you want with me?"

**[**

**Over Bayville**

"Well, Logan?"

"Give it up, Fury," Logan snarled. "I don't know where she is, and I wouldn't tell you if I did; you've ruined enough lives,"

Without another word, Fury stood up and returned to the cockpit; they had been at this for an hour, with the same results from Logan. _Makes me wish I had his Prof's power._

"Sir?" the pilot called. "I got something on radar."

--------------------

"We simply wish to know who did this to you," Xavier explained to the glaring X23.

"Speak for yourself," Evan muttered, rolling his neck.

"What do you care?" X23 snapped, aiming her quivering claws toward Xavier.

Unfazed, Xavier simply folded his hands in front of him and replied. "Because, whoever attacked you, we believe they may have just made off with one of our instructors." Pausing for a moment, he added, "Your genetic father, to be exact."

X23's face fell briefly before returning to its scowl. "Then I'm not staying _here_," she stated as she stepped down from the bed.

She had only taken a few steps before the drained feeling returned, forcing her to grab onto a nearby bed to steady herself.

"The device's effects have not yet worn off," Xavier stated. X23 growled in frustration; being weak was usually a death sentence for her.

--------------------

"What is it, pilot?" Fury asked, staring at the faint blip on the screen.

The pilot shook his head. "Nothing clear, sir… wait a minute…"

--------------------

"If you want to help Logan, then help us," Xavier insisted. "Do you know who it was that attacked you?"

X23 mumbled under her breath, then shook her head. "All I know is they wanted him dead."

--------------------

Intent on studying the radar screen, neither Fury nor his pilot noticed the small object heading for the aircraft. Within seconds, the screen was the last thing on their minds.

Fury swore as the aircraft gave a violent shudder, shoving him back into his seat.

"Geez … tail rotor's gone!" his pilot yelled as he wrestled with the controls.

As he felt the aircraft begin to spin, Fury instinctively grabbed at his restraints and yanked them into place, securing himself to his seat.

In back, Logan snarled as he felt the sudden turbulence, and strained against his own restraints.

"No good!" the pilot shouted. "We're …!" He never managed to finish his report as the helijet roared through the treeline and slammed into the earth.

--------------------

To those watching, the crash didn't look like much.

"Aww," grumbled Reese as he watched the aircraft slam disappear into the forest, followed only by a loud, metallic crunch.. "This stealth biz is getting …" The next second, he found himself clutching his bruised throat and gasping for air.

"I did not bring hire you to entertain yourselves," the lady answered coldly, withdrawing her curled fingers. Without taking her eyes of the crash site, she murmured "This is personal,"

--------------------

Out of habit, Logan growled as he opened his eyes. Glancing around, he noticed that the aircraft had buckled under the impact. _And I'm still strapped in_, he thought snidely, straining against the restraints that had somehow held during the crash. _Wait a minute …_ Shaking his right arm, he realized that it had shaken loose slightly. Without another thought, he strained against the few strands connecting it to the bulkhead. With a high-pitched snap, it pulled free.

After quickly shredding the other restraints and pulling himself free, Logan dragged himself toward the cockpit, his old habits kicking in. Although, if his day had improved at all …

No such luck. Fury was definitely alive, gnashing his teeth as he struggled against the warped metal pinning him in place. With a snort of disappointment, Logan turned toward the other seat.

"Damnit!" the pilot snarled, scrabbling frantically at a tree branch that had lodged itself in his hip. Logan seethed; this kid was barely older than most of the X men. Sighing, he grabbed at the pilots hands.

"Hold still." With that, Logan quickly and efficiently sliced through the branch and the straps holding him in place. After dragging him to the floor, he turned to Fury, claws still extended.

"Logan, d-" Before Fury could continue, Logan sliced through the bulkhead and the straps pinning him. Pausing only to grab a field kit from the back of the pilot's seat, he grunted, "Kid's got a deep wound, Patch; fix him up, or you get one to match." Without looking at Fury, he headed towards the crumpled ramp and kicked it down.

"Backup is 5 minutes away, Logan," Fury called as he began digging through the kit.

Logan took a sniff and scanned the forest. "Something tells me we ain't got that long."

"What is it?" Logan didn't answer; instead, he extended his other claws and stepped outside. Taking another deep whiff he froze; what was it about that scent …?

"_You just got back here!" she had called, standing aghast as he had packed his bags._

_Shaking his head, frustrated, Logan replied. "Don't I know it, darlin'."_

"_Then why …?"_

"_Cause if I don't, then they come down here themselves, drag me off, and keep me a hell of a lot longer."_

"_Will you ever be able to __stay_ _at home?" she asked crossing her arms._

_Offering her a grin she knew too well, he replied. "Gimme this one last mission, and I'll make 'em __beg__ me to stay home."_

With his mind on the unwelcome, yet enticing, memory, Logan was unprepared for the two-footed kick that propelled him into the aircraft. Forced from his reverie upon impact, Logan looked up in time to narrowly dodge the figure hurtling toward him. From the ground, he glanced up just before receiving a heel to the nose.

Wiping the tears from his eyes, Logan took his chance to size up the attacker. Taller than him, smooth limbs and abdomens without a trace of fat on them, moved in graceful, flowing steps that seemed almost impossible in the rough terrain; her body might as well have been a blank slate. Her face was equally featureless; Japanese, hair tied back face set in a cruel expression that rivalled Sabretooths, save for the utter calm that his usual opponent usually lacked.

"And here I was thinking you were a fighter, Logan-san," she stated coldly as she approached him.

_Logan-san? _"Ya think?" he sneered, bringing his claws to bear.

In response, the lady unfurled her own weapons. Logan snorted in surprise; all ten of her fingers had been elongated and filed to a point. The material was unmistakable for Logan.

"Who the hell are ya, lady?" Logan growled as he circled her. "Don't tell me Creed's sending his girlfriends after me."

The cold expression broke for a moment. "Lady Deathstrike belongs to no one!" With a shriek that belied her cold glare, she threw herself toward him, claws first. This time, Logan was ready; dropping and rolling to the side, he immediately brought his claws up in a slashing motion, only to find them locked with her own set of claws.

"Fine; wasn't in a chatty mood anyway," he snarled, pulling his claws free and moving in with his own flurry.

Within a few seconds, Logan began to regretting getting in this fight. She was _good_; every one of his attacks were gracefully deflected and turned back on him, without any hint of effort on her part; it was as though she anticipated his every move. Before long, Logan was bleeding from over a dozen wounds she had inflicted after slipping through his defences.

Something close to a smirk seemed to appear on Deathstrike's face as she withdrew her bloody claws. "This is disappointing; your daughter put up more of a fight."

Logan grunted as he continued to circle Deathstrike. "Lady, you got the wrong …" His instinctive retort trailed off as he realized who he was referring to. "You …" growled darkly, noticing that familiar feeling.

In addition to his pain threshold, Logan's temper was also legendary; it was fear of that temper that usually brought the kids to his training sessions on time. In all his years at Xavier's, however, he had only shown them his most restrained outbursts.

For those who, like Sabretooth and now Deathstrike, threatened anyone close to him, restraint was barely a memory.

With a howl that few had lived to describe to others, Logan charged toward her with a fresh onslaught. As he slashed and stabbed almost indiscriminately, his mind felt empty except for the stored-away rage that quickened his moves and blocked out pain.

For Deathstrike, this all-out attack had her on the defensive. Though her years of training allowed her to continue parrying Logan's claws, his relentless, almost suicidal approach was something she hadn't anticipated; it was getting near impossible to work around. _The man __is__ an animal!_

Flipping back and landing next to a tree, she decided to try a new manoeuvre. _There is always an escape_, her Sensei had told her. As a roaring, sputtering Logan charged toward her, she spun about, redirecting his claws into the unyielding bark, and, in the same motion, brought her forearm down on his elbow, snapping the tendons.

His loud howl brought a slight smile to her face. _It is about time_, she thought as she aimed her claws toward his head. For the sake of her father's memory, it was time to end this.

For Logan, pain was never the end.

Deathstrike sputtered in shock as Logan's broken elbow crashed into her face, driving her back from the tree. In two quick motions, Logan had freed himself and threw himself on top of Deathstrike, his claws pinning her to the ground.

"You feel like talking now?" he snarled.

Her eyes flashed defiantly toward him even as she struggled futilely against his hold. "Finish it, animal!"

"Oh, I ain't finished," he snarled. "What do ya want with me? What are yer cyber pals doin' here?"

"I owe you no answers, _Weapon X_!" she spat.

Logan's muscles loosened as the name triggered the memories that had clung to him at least half of his life. "Who the hell are ya, lady?"

Deathstrike's glare did not cease. "Think of me as one of the many lives you've destroyed."

Logan shook his head. "I dunno where you get yer ideas, but I think you got things a little mixed up."

Deathstrike seemed to relax. "True enough; this time, your victims destroy you!"

With that, she twisted her hips, loosening Logan's hold; brought her legs to her chest, and drove them outward, propelling Logan several feet away. Growling, Logan sat up just in time to find four adamantium blades skewering his shoulder.

Deathstrike barely heard him scream as she leaned toward him and whispered into his ears. "This," she began, pointing her free hand towards his eyes, "is for what you are, and what you've done." Drawing her hand back, she spread her fingers, ready for the killing blow. Her mind had never felt so clean; since that animal of a man had left her, she had focused her entire lift fighting and training her way to this position. _It was almost too easy …_

The next second, her hand flew back as a beam slammed into it. Hissing in surprise, she released Logan and leapt behind a tree, already scanning for the new attacker.

Behind the wrecked aircraft, Nick Fury cursed as he ducked down and cocked the rifle he had spent the last few minutes dragging loose from the body of one of his soldiers. _That lady's fast._

He had no idea.

Rising to peer in the direction she had fled, Fury barely had time to scan the treetops before she was upon him, both feet driving him to the ground while her clawed hands made short work of the million dollar hardware.

Glaring furiously at the downed Fury, she snarled "You should not have interfered, you…" Her tirade was interrupted as the roar of helijets reached her keen ears.

Logan had just dragged himself to his feet in time to notice the lithe, nimble Japanese woman scamper off out of sight, calling over her shoulder, "This is far from over, Weapon X!"

Logan snarled at her vanishing back. _Lady, you have no idea._ Logan was rarely one to leave business unfinished.

First things first: he had some nasty wounds to fix. With his own clothes in tatters …

Fury looked up from his comlink in time to see a bloodied Logan approach and grab his shirt. "Logan, wh-?" His planned dressing-down never went ahead, as Logan was already slicing neatly through the fabric and pulling it off in two swift movements.

"Outta patches, Patch," Logan grunted as he staggered away, already cutting the fabric into strips. "Thanks for the ride," he called over his shoulder.

Fury mumbled to himself as he turned to face his approaching troops, already conscious of his bare chest. "Pleasure as always."

--------------------

Already a mile away from the crash, Deathstrike was calmly speaking into her comlink. "Deathstrike to Reavers; are you in position?" A trio of voices grumbled their affirmations. "Listen closely."

**[**

**Bayville Freeway**

"It's a start, at least," Jean tried to assure Scott as he rolled Logan's Harley up the Velocity's ramp.

"Ja; now, if ve find Logan, he von't murder us for abandoning his bike," Kurt offered.

"Except we still have no way of finding out where he's gone," snapped Scott as he leaned the bike against a bulkhead and came back down the ramp, his expression tight. None of the students noticed the steel tendons slithering along the floor toward the cockpit.

"Well, this happened under an hour ago; maybe their scents' are still there," Jean suggested. A worried Scott without ideas gave her a major headache, especially through their psychic link.

"But they have our only … wait a minute …" Scott's face perked up slightly as a new thought began to form. "Nightcrawler, get Wolfsbane."

One minute and two ports later, the young half-wolf was prowling around the bike, seeking the strongest scents as she'd been taught by Logan. Sniffing and growling, she slowly followed the trail to a small clearing, where she switched back to her human form and shook her head at her older teammates. "It all stops here; and I think I smell gas and oil."

"Vhat kind of oil?" Kurt asked.

Rahne shrugged. "How do I know?"

"An aircraft," Scott announced, examining the grass beneath his feet. "They must have taken off from here."

"You vatch too much TV, meine freund," Kurt muttered after hopping down from a tree.

"Says the guy who kept missing geology for Burger Bombs," Scott retorted, fingering his comm. badge. "Shadowcat, Storm, they may be in the air. Can you see anything?"

--------------------

Kitty shook her head as she scanned the radar screen. "Nope. Rogue?" The southerner, currently engrossed in flipping through radio frequencies, simply shook her head.

--------------------

"Nothing here," Ororo reported, scanning the skies. Among the endless forest, the only machine in sight was the old iron-works factory where Blob had once held Jean.

"Hey? Anyone busy?" grunted a familiar voice from her comm. badge.

**[**

**Xavier Institute**

Within the mansion, it was much quieter. After switching to their uniforms, the younger team had finally begun to relax somewhat while they waited for news on Logan.

At the moment, the loudest silence could be found in the infirmary.

Evan took another glance at the feral teenager that had dropped in on them. At the moment, only her scowl reminded her of his grumpy, missing instructor. _Heck, Logan never looked this … WOAH, better not go there!_

"What?" X23 snapped, noticing Evan's stare. Those were her first words since Xavier had left them in the past hour.

"Nothing," Evan snapped back, looking away. X23 growled at his back. "What's with you?" X23 just snorted and turned away. "Fine, be that way." Evan returned to his scrutiny of the nearby wall. _Man, I __hate __babysitting!_

X23 snarled as she followed his glance toward the white walls. Another white room …

_Another day, another white room, another long wait._

_X23's head snapped up as the door open. Maybe …_

"_Hello, Laura--" a soft voice began, before it was cut off by a harsher voice she knew well._

"_No names, Doctor Risman; you know the drill."_

"_For god's sake, this is a child we're--"_

"_No, this is HYDRA property," cut in another, smooth voice. "Or have you forgotten our agreement?"_

_X23 heard a hiss before the soft voice answered. "No,"_

"_Good, then get her out here; she's already late for her morning drills." _

_X23 curled tighter as footsteps approached. Another day …_

X23 sniffled as the memory ran through her head. _Stop that! _she berated herself. _No tears from …!_

No, wait, that was Sergeant Hosk, HYDRA employee, giving one of his usual 'lessons'. And she'd taken him out, hadn't she? X23 gripped the nearby sheet; just another death at her hands …

_And if you sit here waiting around, there'll be another_ chirped in another voice. X23 was about to mentally order that sergeant to shut up for good before she realized who that voice belonged to.

She couldn't wait around. Glancing at the spiked mutant, who was still forcefully ignoring her, X23 decided to make her move.

Sick of the silence, Evan decided to make yet another play for conversation. "Look, whatever your name is …" he began, turning to face, only to find an empty bed.

Glancing toward the open door, Evan shot to his feet. _How does she __do__ that?_

--------------------

_Nothing on my end, Charles_, Hank thought, replying to Xavier's psychic message as he scanned the tall screen before him. _No news reports, emergency calls, and definitely no hide nor hair of our friend Logan._ _How about you?_

Xavier's reply was weary. _Nothing useful; Logan's healing power has popped up in the , but … I can't seem to get anything now. _

_You mean he's … ? _

_No, I don't believe so. In fact … it doesn't seem to be picking up any signatures; not even ours._

_That can't be; we just repaired it this month!_ Hank snapped, the stress on his mind carrying over to Xavier. Noticing Xavier's mental wince, Hank took a breath and added, _I'll take another look at it once I'm finished here._

_Thank you, Hank … _Xavier paused as though something had caught his attention. _Oh, and I believe you have company._

_Who?_ Wheeling around, Hank was greeted by the sight of a growling X23, claws already extended. _Oh, boy._ "Ummm … hi?" he tried, forcing a (he hoped) friendly smile onto his face.

**[**

**Bayville** **Forest**

"Logan?!" The wind picked up with Ororo's voice as she grabbed at her comm. badge. "Goddess, we've been looking for you for an hour; where in the Bright Lady have you been?!"

"Some people took a shot at me," Logan replied, apparently ignoring Ororo's rebuke. "They're on the move, though, and I could use some help down here."

"Down where? Where are you, Logan?" Ororo asked impatiently.

**[**

**Xavier Institute**

"What are you doing?" X23 demanded, her scowl not fading.

After shuffling through his options as fast as his mind could handle, Hank decided upon the direct approach. "I'm trying to help our kids find our friend Logan."

X23's eyes flickered briefly toward the large screen, then back to Hank. "How?"

"By looking for incidents in the vicinity that we can connect to him, so that we can narrow down his location," rang out Xavier's voice as he wheeled into the room, followed closely by a glowering Evan. Clutching the portable Cerebro headgear, he rolled up next to Hank and added. "Which leads to my question: do you wish to help us?"

X23 growled as she glanced at the others. Her entire life had been centred around orders; from the drill sergeants, the doctors, the suits such as Madame Viper … all had given her tasks without allowing the slightest hint of dissent from her. Since leaving HYDRA and escaping SHIELD, she had gotten accustomed to setting her own missions, making her own decisions, her own parameters. Being _asked_ for help, however was something new to her. Especially from people she had once attacked …

_Does it matter? _she snapped to herself. _Your missions coincide, and you can break out whenever I need to; why not play along for now._

Withdrawing her claws, she bluntly asked. "What do you want me to do?"

--------------------

"Just get me on the team frequency," Logan's voice growled through the speaker. "No one comes after me alone."

"Very well; give me one minute," Ororo replied, twisting the frequency dial. "Everyone? Switch to my frequency; there's someone who wants to talk to us."

--------------------

"Can you show us where you were attacked?" Xavier asked, indicating the map on one of the screens. Without hesitating, X23 marched toward the screen, extended one blade and carved an X into it.

"Right there," she snapped.

"And you have no idea who your attackers were, or who they might be affiliated with?" Xavier asked, his brows furrowing.

"None," she growled.

"What about …?" he began.

"Charles, I think I have something here," Hank interrupted, pressing an earphone against his head. "SHIELD helijets seems to be converging somewhere in the Bayville Forest."

--------------------

"Mr. Logan?!" Kitty squeaked as she grabbed at the comm. switch. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you? Where …?

"Silence!" Logan barked, instantly silencing the young brunette. "I cannot talk for long,"

"Just tell us where you are," Scott's voice put in.

"I'm hidin' out at the old iron-works factory at the end of town."

--------------------

"So they are operating in the nearby area," Xavier mused, gazing at the screen.

"Which means Logan shouldn't be far, either," Hank added.

"That's still a lotta woods to comb," Evan piped up, earning a growl from nearby X23.

"Can't you contact him? _You're_ the spook here," she growled.

After shooting X23 a confused look, Xavier replied. "I prefer 'telepath', but … perhaps." As he placed the Cerebro headgear on his head, he added "Give me a few moments." Ignoring X23's impatient snort, Xavier closed his eyes and reached out with his mind.

--------------------

"I can see it!" Ororo exclaimed, spotting the old factory. "Logan, we're on the way; sit tight."

"I make no promises, miss." Ororo quirked her eyebrows; this did not sound like Logan. In fact …

_Forget it!_ she told herself. _There's time to figure it out when you find him!_ Pushing her doubts to the back of her mind, Ororo flew.

--------------------

_Logan!_

Logan snarled as Xavier's mental shout hit his mind like a spotlight in a darkened room. _Geez, Chuck, ya ever heard o' knockin?_

_Logan? Thank God; are you safe?_

_Am I ever?_

_What happened?_

_Long story, Chuck; look, where are the kids?_

--------------------

"Storm, wait for backup," Scott yelled into the comlink as he grabbed the Velocity's controls. Pressing the ignition, he waited.

Nothing happened.

"Oh, not now!" Kurt griped.

--------------------

"Sorry, Kitty, looks like we're stuck here," Scott grumbled over the radio.

"Don't worry; we'll back Storm up," Kitty replied, her usual valley girl accent replaced by the hardened tone the others saw only in their toughest fights. "Rogue, can you call this in?"

--------------------

"I've got a location," Xavier reported, drawing Evan and X23 out of their seats. "Hank, call the-"

"Professah?" Rogue's voice cut in. "Listen --"

"Rogue, your timing couldn't be better; you see --"

"We found Logan," both voices chimed.

--------------------

Landing outside the run-down plant, Ororo, quickly glanced around and began making her way into the building. "Logan?" she called out in a whisper.

No one responded. The piles of broken machinery didn't even rattle; In fact, the only signs of movement in the building were hers.

Glancing around, Ororo felt her old street-honed instincts kicking in; it was awfully quiet here …

--------------------

"You found him?" Hank demanded. "That can't be; how …"

"How'd you find him?" Rogue demanded. "Did he call ya too?!"

"Call us?! Why would he ---"

Xavier cleared his throat, silencing the argument. "Rogue, I've just been in mental contact with Logan."

"But …" Rogue's voice trailed off as she struggled to put it together. "Why didn't he tell us?"

X23 groaned. _Amateurs._ "Does somebody have to spell it out?" she spat.

The room went silent as the answer sunk in.

--------------------

Ororo had just finished examining the empty building when Xavier's voice entered her head. _Storm? Storm, can you hear me?_

Ororo started at the sudden intrusion, then closed her eyes. _Charles, what is it?_

_Storm, you have to get out of there. Logan-_

Before Xavier could continue, Ororo felt a change in air pressure behind her before two feet slammed into her back, pitching her to the floor and breaking her concentration. Gasping in surprise and pain, Ororo quickly turned her fall into a graceful shoulder roll and spun to face her attacker.

Only the glint of metal gave her enough warning to twist aside and dodge a thrusting attack toward her throat. Without hesitating, she grabbed what she hoped was her attacker's wrist and spun on one foot, driving her free hand toward her attacker's throat and the attacker into the nearby pole.

"Who are you; what do you want with me?" she snapped

The Japanese lady in her grasp shook her head slightly. "It is not you I want, or," she began, slowly extending her sharpened fingers, "I would have these buried in your neck."

Without warning, Deathstrike drove her free hand, fingers curled, into Ororo's neck. Ororo felt pressure for the briefest moments before everything went black.

As Ororo crumpled to the floor, Deathstrike removed her comm. link from her belt and whispered into it. "Pretty Boy, are you in position?"

The cocky, singsong American voice came back. "Yes, ma'am; that chopper of theirs ain't goin nowhere!"

"Skullbuster?"

"Yeah, got 'em sighted," came the bored Australian twang.

"Move in now."

**[**

**Bayville Freeway**

Sniffing the air, Rahne suddenly turned and growled at the woods.

"Rahne? What is it?" Scott demanded.

Rahne finally stopped growling. "I'm … not sure," she admitted. Logan had begun tutoring her in scent-tracking, but there were still a lot of senses she couldn't identify.

Jean suddenly noticed several objects soaring towards them. "Hey, what are those?" she asked, reaching out and catching them.

Her answer was sudden, very loud, and it came directly from the objects.

**[**

**Blackbird: Over Bayville**

Kitty was just about to accelerate the craft when the systems suddenly sparked and died.

"KITTY!" Rogue yelled as the craft began to spin and fall. "What did you-!"

"That wasn't me!" Kitty yelled back, frantically trying to restart the engines.

"Is there a drill for this?" Warren called as he struggled to hang on to his seat.

"Are you kiddin'?!" Rogue shrieked.

"Guys!?" Grab on!" Kitty yelled as the ground rushed toward them.

**To Be Continued**

**Authors Notes**

Hello again, and a thousand apologies for the delay; a combination of computer problems and sheer lack of diligence have left you all without an update for … I don't even want to think about how long.

Anyway, here you have the first half of what turned into a two-part chapter. I sincerely hope that won't be a trend with my stories. Any thoughts? Positive, constructive, excited, bored, anything?

Up next: the conclusion to this two-parter, as a part Logan's foggy past threatens all of the X men, including the piece of his future: X23.

I own nothing, and all that.


	8. Past and Present Part 2

**Previously on X-Men Evolution**

"_Some old friends of ours are in town," Fury stated. "The Reavers, to be exact."_

_As the cyborgs slowly approached, X23 writhed as jolts ran through her body, practically immobilizing her with the pain._

"_Do not struggle, Weapon X," a lady whispered. "Soon you're miserable existence will be brought to an end. Now we take the animal that spawned this creature."_

_X23 dragged herself toward the Institute._

"_From what I can tell, he was somewhere along the main Bayville highway when I lost contact," Xavier stated grimly._

"_Who the hell are ya, lady?" Logan growled as he circled his attacker. "Don't tell me Creed's sending his girlfriends after me."_

"_Lady Deathstrike belongs to no one!"_

"_They wanted him dead," X23 snapped._

"_This time, your victims destroy you!" Deathstrike shouted._

"_We should be on the move as well," Ororo declared._

"_Sam, I would rather your team remain at the mansion," Xavier stated._

"_No way, bro; you're staying at the mansion for this one!" Scott shouted as he boarded the Velocity._

"_Deathstrike to Reavers … Listen closely," Deathstrike ordered._

"_Stick with your teams and stay in contact at all times," Xavier ordered._

"_I'm hidin' out at the old iron-works factory at the end of town," Logan's voice growled._

_Deathstrike jammed her curled fingers into Ororo's neck, knocking her out, then whispered into her comm. link. "Move in now"_

_Jean suddenly noticed several objects soaring towards them. "Hey, what are those?" she asked, reaching out and catching them. Her answer was sudden, very loud, and it came directly from the objects. _

_Kitty was just about to accelerate the craft when the systems suddenly sparked and died. "Guys! Grab on!" she cried as the aircraft hurtled into the ground._

**[**

**Xavier Institute**

"Cyclops? Shadowcat? Storm? Do you read me?" Hank tried again. Snarling, he turned to Xavier and blurted out "I'm not getting anything."

X23 snarled to herself. Her first day at this school, and they had already lost their instructor and half their students. _And still you stand here._

"Well? Are we going or not?" Evan demanded, already halfway into his fighting stance.

Xavier's expression did not change as he calmly spoke. "Cerebro: Initiate DEFCON 3 alert; Authorization Xavier 79626363."

--------------------

Alex looked up as the rec room darkened. "What's going on?" he asked, bewildered, as he watched the steel shutters creeping in front of the window.

"DEFCON 3," Sam declared, standing up as Xavier's voice entered their heads. _X Men: get into defensive positions and prepare for imminent attack._

"Attack?!" Alex asked. _Man, I've been here like a week!_

"Everyone pick a position!" Sam yelled as he ran out of the room, followed by the other occupants.

"This better not be another drill," Bobby grumbled as he ran outside, leaving Alex alone in the room.

--------------------

"Are you blind?!" X23 snarled. "Your kids are being attacked _outside_!"

"Yes," Xavier responded, removing the headgear. "And if they're after our teams, then the mansion is an obvious target; we need to be ready."

"What about Auntie O and the others?" Evan demanded.

Xavier exchanged a grim look with Hank, then slowly replied. "They know how to handle themselves; we can't help them from here."

X23 huffed. "Maybe _you_ can't." Without another word, she extended her claws and headed toward the door, only to find herself getting very sleepy …

On instinct, Evan reached out and grabbed X23 as she collapsed. "What did you do?!" he demanded, glaring at Xavier.

Removing his fingers from his temple, Xavier replied "We can't have her cutting holes in our defences; at least not until everyone's safe. Evan, take her to the infirmary."

Evan opened his mouth as if to protest, then nodded and threw the limp X23 over his shoulder before running out of the room.

--------------------

Alex looked up as Evan ran into the rec room, the teenage girl draped over his shoulder. "Evan? Dude, what -"

"Alex, I need a favour."

**[**

**Factory**

Ororo groaned as she opened her eyes and blinked, trying to adjust to the darkness.

"You are a strong one," came the smooth voice from beside her. Ororo's eyes narrowed as she recognized the voice, if not its owner.

"Do I know you?" she challenged, pulling herself upright, only to find herself chained to a nearby pipe.

"I was once called Yuriko Oyama," Deathstrike replied stepping toward Ororo. "Now be still and let me loosen the nerves, or you will pass out again." Though her glare did not fade, Ororo allowed Deathstrike to continue massaging the bruise on her neck.

"I don't know any Yuriko; why did you attack me?" Ororo demanded, thinking quickly. Lightning or high winds would wipe out both of them, and Ororo already guessed that rain would not slow this woman down.

"I have personal business here; I simply wish to see that no one interferes again," Deathstrike replied, stepping back and looking Ororo up and down. "Hmm," she murmured, closing her eyes. "I hope you are not Logan's latest conquest."

Ororo lunged forward as Logan's name mentioned. "What have you done with him?!"

"Nothing yet; for now, I wait," Deathstrike replied coolly. Turning away, she called over her shoulder. "I will be doing all of you a favour; getting involved with that … animal only brings pain to those around him."

"The only one I see causing pain today is you," Ororo retorted, glaring after Deathstrike.

Deathstrike glanced back at Ororo. "I haven't yet started."

[

**Xavier Institute.**

"Dude, what the heck-?" Alex cried as Evan fired a volley of glowing spikes into the window. One explosion later, the outside was visible again.

"I gotta help my aunt, and I need you to guard this hole while we're gone." Evan snapped.

"W-We?" Alex stammered, but Evan was already kneeling and shaking X23. The young mutant woke up with a snarl and aimed her blades towards Evan's face.

"Knock it off," Evan snapped, grabbing her hands. Pulling her to her feet, Evan pointed at the hole he'd created. "I'm going after my aunt. You coming?" he yelled.

X23 glanced at the door, then at Evan. For the first time in 3 years, she smiled.

--------------------

The half-tank German Macon glanced at the mansion, watching the small explosion. "Who did that?" he demanded.

"Bonebreaker, are you in position?" came Deathstrike's cold voice over his comm. unit.

"Well … yes," he seethed.

"Then you're clear; move in."

Hoisting the weapon he'd brought for the occasion, Macon's eyes narrowed as he sighted in.

**[**

**Bayville** **Forest**

_Chuck, what's goin on over there?_ Logan demanded as he continued his trek. Deathstrike could run, but not hide; not her scent, anyway.

An agitated Xavier finally responded. _Logan. I'm afraid a lot has happened …_

_Just spill it, Chuck!_

Logan could almost hear Xavier sigh. _Someone has abducted Ororo…_

"What?!" Logan snarled, extending his claws.

…_and we've just lost contact with our field teams._

"No, no, no, NO!" Logan snarled, driving his claws into the ground. Ororo _and _the kids?! _Where are they?!_

_Hold on, Logan; I'll get their loc---_ As abruptly as it had appeared, Xavier's voice vanished.

_Chuck? CHUCK!_

Logan growled. He was no expert telepath like Jean or Chuck, but he could remember Xavier's senses as he was cut off: a rise in adrenaline, something large crashing into the room, Hank diving toward him, then … nothing.

Within seconds, every creature within a mile was fleeing from ragged howl that escaped the man who had been born a mutant, become a soldier, been made into a living weapon, then taken in by a school. Even at his lowest point, with nothing to lose, nothing to fix, Logan could make a lot of noise.

As his scream finally died down, Logan sank to his knees as coherent thoughts penetrated the rage, the grief, _whatever_ it was flooding him quicker than his own adamantium bones had. The first of these thoughts he was no stranger to.

_This is my fault_.

Xavier had warned him about hoarding responsibility for what happened around him. Kitty and Kurt's near-deadly encounter with him and Sabretooth because of Weapon X trying to lure him back … the mansion blowing up because he couldn't detect Mystique … the attack on the mansion by his clone …

Now, Ororo and the older kids were missing, the Xavier Institute was probably blown away again, with Xavier and the younger kids inside. All because of some lady who wanted him dead

Logan had always told himself it would have been better for everybody if his past had stayed forgotten; whatever he'd hidden within his own mind probably _belonged _there, hidden from everyone, including himself.

Now, it seemed his past was crawling up of its own accord, and spreading like a disease to the family that he'd taken in, that had taken him in. _So this is what I brought yer school, Chuck._

SNIKT.

Logan snarled as he turned toward Deathstrike's scent. _Now I got somethin' to bring __**you,**__ Deathstrike…_

**[**

**Xavier Institute**

"Uhhh," Xavier groaned as he lifted his head up. When the device had smashed through the floor into the basement, Xavier had barely had time to glance at it before Hank had pounced on him, pushing him out of the room, at which point he'd felt his head hit something immediately before everything went black.

"Charles?" Hank's faint voice finally reached his ears.

"Easy, Charles," Hank urged, hauling him with one arm over his shoulder.

"Hank … the bomb …" Xavier mumbled.

"A dud," Hank remarked as he continued down the hallway. "Looks like somebody forgot to pack the heat."

"Somebody …?"

His answer came a series of explosions upstairs.

--------------------

Macon as he waved toward his men. "Keep firing!" One of his men grinned as he loaded his rifle and fired another beam toward the building

Mumbling a series of German curses to himself, he cast his eyes on the small cloud that had gathered near one of the windows. "You two, with me!" he snapped as he rolled toward the mansion.

--------------------

"Hank, why are our defences not responding?" Xavier asked, rubbing his head. This was getting old.

Without slowing, Hank replied, "Our 'somebodies' must have brought an electromagnetic pulse with them." Hank recoiled for a second as another explosion upstairs was heard.

"The students …!" Xavier gasped.

"That's why we train them."

--------------------

"Everyone all right?" Sam yelled. The device rang with a chorus of shaken affirmatives from the others, now scattered across the mansion walls.

"Well? Fire already, big guns!" he heard Tabitha yell. Sam finally noticed that, among the gunfire outside, the mansions defences were silent. "Can somebody take a look out there?" Sam called.

"Are you kidding?"

"I got it," Jamie Madrox put in before tensing up. Another Jamie shifted out of the original and took a peek over the walls. Immediately, a beam lanced through the young clone, which disappeared from view.

Jamie screamed as the clone's memories returned to him, along with the pain of its … death? _Not the time!_ "There's a bunch of … robot things at the gates …" he gasped. "Our guns aren't doing anything."

"Man, that stuff _never _works right," Bobby grumbled.

"Y'all right, James?" Sam asked.

Jamie looked at the spot where his clone had … disappeared. "Yeah … I think …"

--------------------

Alex grimaced as he pulled himself to his feet. _Man, this hotel does have its prices_ he groaned to himself.

Looking up, Alex found himself head to head with a grinning, partly metallic face.

--------------------

"All right, looks lahke we're on our own for this one, so listen up" Sam declared. "Iceman, Sunspot, yer with me; everyone else, cover us from here."

"What are we doing?" Bobby demanded.

"Rollin' out the welcome mat," he quipped, finally drawing grins from the other two boys. "Everyone ready?"

An assortment of glows and crackles responded; each unique, yet equally powerful in their own ways.

"Fire away!"

The front lawn lit up.

**[**

**Bayville Freeway**

"I thought we were supposed to keep 'em busy," piped up one of Cole's men.

Cole pointed at the burning crater where the young mutants had once stood. "They look pretty busy down there, don't they?" The men cracked up.

"Say, where are they, anyway?"

"Right here."

"Huh?" The band of cyborgs turned and themselves facing four dishevelled, glaring mutants, sulphuric smoke still drifting around them.

"Maybe next time, you outta look harder," Kurt suggested, letting go of the other three.

"Or let me do that for you!" Scott added twisting his visor. Beside him, Jean splayed her fingers while Rahne shifted into her feline form and snarled at the men before her.

Cole seethed. "Take them out!" he yelled, adjusting his headset.

With a flurry of laser blasts, sulphuric smoke, cries, and growls, the fight began.

**[**

**Blackbird Crash Site**

"Jeez; boss-lady is _not_ gonna like this," one of the men complained, staring at the upended jet with its nose in the dirt.

Reese shrugged. "Ehhh, what can I say; things got outta hand."

"Think they survived that?"

"You kiddin'? They say spinal compression's a _killer_."

"Really? Ah hadn't heard," chimed in a feminine, Southern voice.

"Well, lady, you really outta …" Reese trailed off as he realized he only ever hired ladies for parties. "Wait a minute, who-?" he began to demand as he turned to face the voice.

Its owner, a short goth in forest-green, had just thrown the man in her grasp to the ground. Next to her stood young brunette, with his new recruit Ted shorting out at her feet. "Sorry; did we interrupt your show?"

"Uhhh …." Reese stammered. _Where did these kids come from?_

"Never mind; there's a better one up there," the goth spat, pointing skyward.

Following her finger, Reese noticed a pair of wings hurtling towards him. And in its hands …

"Now!" Piotr snapped. With a grunt of relief, Warren released the large, metal man, who immediately crashed into the crowd, scattering the cyber-soldiers and leaving a large crater in the ground.

With that, the others sprang into action. Rogue snatched a rifle from the soldier she had absorbed and expertly fired at the other soldiers.

Kitty took a dive toward the pile of soldiers underneath Piotr, leaving crackling bodies in her wake.

Warren circled around for another pass.

Reese snarled as he ducked behind a tree, loading his weapon. _So it's a fight after all._

--------------------

"Any sign of them?" Evan asked, panting slightly. The two of them had run over a mile before stopping to check for scents.

X23 ignored him and continued sniffing the air. Finally, she growled, "Quiet; I'm getting a scent."

"Are we going to be sniffing the ground all day?" Evan asked impatiently.

"Got another plan?" X23 snapped. When Evan stayed silent, X23 snorted and continued. "Thought so; now shut up and follow me."

She had barely taken a step before Evan had grabbed her tattered uniform and pushed her against a tree. Shocked, and mildly annoyed, X23 glanced at Evan's glare, noticing several spikes emerge from his wrist. "Listen," he began. "I busted you out of there to get my aunt, not to be your lapdog, so…"

Evan didn't get a chance to finish, as X23 was already dicing his wrist spikes before kicking him in the face. Looking up, he noticed X23's glaring face. "_You_ listen; you want my help, you do what I say. Otherwise, you might as well go back to your prep school before you _really _piss me off." With that, she was off in full-tilt run, still sniffing the air.

Evan groaned as he pulled himself to his feet. _She __is__ Logan's clone._

**[**

**Factory**

"I don't understand; what do you want with _us_?" Ororo demanded. For the past few minutes, Deathstrike had been sitting quietly in a guarded crouch. Even with the dim lighting, Ororo could see the slow rise and fall of her chest.

"I already told you; it is not you or your school I am after; only the animal," Deathstrike replied, rising gracefully to her feet.

"Then why are you attacking _all of us_?" Ororo asked.

"Simply ensuring none of you interfere,"

Ororo stared, appalled, as Deathstrike began stretching her long limbs. The woman's cold expression had not changed during the entire conversation. "You're a monster," she murmured. "Logan should have killed you too …"

"HE DID KILL ME!!!" Deathstrike screamed, her usual composure dropped. "It is because of _him_ that I was forced to live this way, to become this monster!"

"He's not the one making your decisions," Ororo responded smartly.

Deathstrike shook her head forcefully. "You know nothing!" Turning away from Ororo, she continued. "When my family's honour is involved, it is not a matter of choice."

"Did your 'honour' choose to attack our kids?"

**[**

**Bayville Freeway**

Jean grunted as she pushed against the growing barrage of grenades and beams. Beside her, Scott was busily firing his own barrage into their attackers, who were trying to encircle them.

Not that they were having much luck; already, Rahne had thrown herself amongst the cyborgs and was slashing and snapping at every limb she could see.

_Amateurs_ Cole cursed to himself as he watched his men drop like flies. _This is embarrassing!_ It soon became more embarrassing.

As one cyborg drew another grenade, he suddenly found it being plucked from his hands by something blue and furry. "Vhat is it vith you people and bombs?" it exclaimed before dropping the grenade at his feet and disappearing again.

The explosion that followed left half the remaining cyborgs scattered along the highway and a _very _angry Cole in the ditch. _No more playing around_, he swore, extending his arms.

After tearing another cybernetic limb from its owner, Rahne looked around just in time to see the impossibly long cybernetic arm slam into her before hurling her into the woods. Noticing this, Kurt leapt towards the arm's owner only to find another arm slamming into his gut, driving the wind from his lungs and dropping him into the asphalt.

"Kurt!" Scott cried. Forgetting his training at the sight, Scott ran toward the grinning cyborg, who fixed his leer upon him.

"That's a nice visor," Cole remarked as he fired his microremotes toward Scott. This would be fun …

Within seconds, Scott noticed the pressure in his head.

"Scott? What's going …?" Jean's question was cut short as an optic blast slammed into her chest, pitching her to the ravine. Gasping in pain, she looked up as a grimacing Scott grabbed at his visor.

"Ah, c'mon; don't spoil it now!" Cole laughed as he adjusted Scott's power setting and bumped his servos; he _loved_ taking control.

"Jean, look out!" Scott cried as another beam lanced toward Jean, who desperately threw her best telekinetic shield in front of it.

"Scott!" Jean grunted, pushing against the beam. "Turn it off, will you?!"

"Jean!" Scott cried, struggling against the immovable trap his visor had become. "I … can't …!"

--------------------

Another metal crunch echoed through the forest as Piotr's metallic fist slammed into another cyborg. Without another word, the cyborg fell to join the growing pile on the forest floor.

Searching for another target, Piotr did not notice the cyborg aiming a grenade launcher at his back until he heard a crackling sound behind him. Acting on instinct, Piotr rolled to the side and turned to face his attacker, only to find him convulsing on the ground while Kitty waved as she phased out of sight.

Reese cursed to himself as he ducked another attack from the winged mutant. For such a small group, these kids seemed to come from everywhere at once!

"Over here!" Warren yelled. Snarling in frustration, Reese fired a series of shots skyward, clipping one of Warren's wings and driving him into one of the thicker trees.

_One down_, Reese thought to himself, right before he found himself trapped by two very large metal arms. "Time to end this!" Piotr growled.

"Sorry!" Reese grunted. "Outta towels!" As Piotr's grip tightened, Reese jammed his fingertips against a metal surface and activated the current he saved for such occasions.

The shock hit Piotr like nothing he had ever felt; within seconds, _his _body lay convulsing among the other cyborgs.

"Peter!" he heard someone yelp behind him. Without even a glance over his shoulder, Reese reached into his belt and tossed one of his sonic grenades towards the voice.

After the high-pitched explosion, he turned around to find a stunned Kitty stuck waist-deep in the ground. _Now __this__ is more like it_ he gloated. "Where's the Manson wannabe?" he demanded, reloading his gun.

**[**

**Xavier Institute**

Macon's team, expecting little resistance from a house full of demoralized teenagers, were unpleasantly surprised to find themselves in the fight of their lives.

Within minutes, under the barrage of fireworks, bombs, and electrical bolts, many cyborgs gave up trying to fire at the building and were busy trying to dodge the firepower.

Preoccupied as they were, none of them noticed the three mutants hurtling in for with their more personal 'welcomes.'

"Bomb's away!" Sam shouted as he crashed his body into the thickest crowd of cyborgs he could spot. As he circled around for another strike, he could see Bobby and Roberto already amongst the force; Roberto swinging one cyborg around like a hammer while Bobby circled the group on his ice slide, firing blasts that froze cyborg after cyborg in place.

Aiming another dive, Sam thought to himself _I thought these guys were supposed to be __dangerous_

--------------------

Alex, out of earshot and on his own, was already finding out how dangerous they could be.

As the cyborg lifted him off the ground, Alex desperately pushed out with his hands, concentrating his thoughts as Scott had taught him. This time, his powers obeyed him, lancing out into the cyborg's armpit and severing the arm grasping Alex from the rest of the body.

As Alex and the arm collapsed to the floor, the cyborg stared at the empty socket, then grumbled. "Aw, cripes; that cost an ...!" Never a fan of puns, Alex decided not to wait for the cyborg to finish and fired another blast into the cyborg's face, catapulting him out onto the lawn.

Alex stared outside, then at his hands. _Dude; I just … _Another bolt interrupted his thought, replacing it with Scott's voice. _Stay alert, bro._ Wishing he'd started earlier on target practice, Alex rolled to the side, firing blindly, and was rewarded with a grunt and a curse in a foreign language from outside.

Pushing the limp cyborg off his lower half, Macon ground his teeth and increased the throttle towards the hole.

Peeking around the corner, Alex noticed the half-tank heading for him. Deciding to let himself be shocked later, Alex focused his attention and fired a continuous blast toward the tank, only to realize it wasn't even slowing.

_No shame in taking cover_ thought Macon as he continued forward, his personal deflector extended. _Can do without this pest, though._

Focused on hitting the man-tank, Alex didn't notice the small grenade landing at his feet until it was too late.

**[**

**Bayville** **Forest**

"Wait," X23 snapped, holding up a hand.

As a panting Evan came to a stop behind her, he asked, "What?"

Ignoring Evan, X23 took another deep breath, taking in the scents around her. Including two very familiar ones. "He's here."

"Is he all right?" Evan asked.

X23 took another breathe. Something else about one of the scents …

"He's _mad_."

**[  
Factory**

"All this in your family's name?" Ororo demanded, staring at Deathstrike. Snorting, she continued, "Somehow I'm not impressed …"

Before Ororo could blink, four adamantium blades darted directly in front of her throat. "Insult my family again," Deathstrike hissed, "and _you _will be my first lesson for Logan."

Raising her chin, Ororo fixed Deathstrike with a defiant stare. "You misunderstand; I was saying _you _were the insult."

Deathstrike's eyes flared, and in the next instance Ororo felt the adamantium scraping slowly along her cheekbone. Gritting her teeth, Ororo resisted the urge to scream.

Someone else, who had already caught both scents from outside, was not so quiet.

With a howl that haunted many of his enemies, and even a few friends, Logan slashed through the nearest iron wall, ignoring the door, and burst into the room, still bleeding from his earlier wounds. Without slowing for a second, he hurled himself toward the two women, tackling Deathstrike and driving her to the floor. Snarling as he hadn't in years, he raised a hand and drove his claws towards Deathstrike, only to find them interlocked with her adamantium blades.

Snarling back at Logan, Deathstrike twisted beneath him, drove an elbow into Logan's nose, and pulled herself away from him. As Logan dove toward her again, she swung her foot in a hooking manoeuvre, catching Logan across the face and snapping his head far enough that she heard bones crack. Without a sign of pain, Logan snapped his head back into position and ran toward Deathstrike, claws in motion.

_Goddess, they're killing each other_, Ororo thought as she watched Logan and Deathstrike trade blows, many leaving holes or gashes in the others skin. Even in all her years in Africa, watching wild beasts during their hunts, she could not recall such a savage duel.

It could only last so long, however; at some point, Logan ducked, or rather fell, under one of Deathstrike's slashes, and cut across her cybernetic calves, drawing a scream from her and bringing her down beside him. Unsatisfied, Logan rolled on top of her and brought his right hand up for a killing stab. Shame this part of the fight never lasted long …

"Logan!"

Logan paused as he heard the voice. It sounded awfully familiar …

_Logan had been indulging in one of his favoured vices when the rain came out of nowhere, soaking him and the cigar. Growling, Logan looked around, seeking his object of revenge, when it floated down amidst another gust of wind._

_The young, dark-skinned woman – Ororo, if he remembered right – that had just landed looked anything but apologetic. "You know those things can kill you, right?"_

_Logan_ _just grunted. "I've heard. So?" he inquired, fixing his glare._

_Unfazed, Ororo replied, "So I may have just done you a favour."_

"_And why would ya do that?" he smirked, digging into his pockets for the rest of his pack, only to growl as he found it soaked beyond use as well._

_Ororo shrugged "Why not?"_

_Why not …_

"Logan," Ororo tried again. Still growling, Logan looked at Ororo, the woman who had been part of his latest life since its beginning, then looked down at Deathstrike, the woman who'd hatred in a way few others had.

His knuckles were itching.

It would be so easy …

"Logan," Ororo insisted. "She's not worth it."

Just one quick stab …

Deathstrike stared defiantly at him; almost daring him.

That was enough for Logan.

With a grunt, he retracted the claws and brought his open palm across her face.

Rolling off her, he brought his legs up to his chest and took a deep, slow breathe. In a voice he barely recognized, he told her, "I'm done playing your game."

A bleeding, crackling Deathstrike sat up and stared at Logan.

"Just go," he grumbled, waving toward the hole he'd created.

Deathstrike glanced toward the door, then back at Logan. Her expression hardened.

Caught up in his own thoughts, Logan never noticed the heel until it crashed into his bloodied face.

Logan snarled as he caught himself, then pushed himself back into a crouch, already scanning for Deathstrike.

"No …." he muttered as his vision cleared.

A crazed Deathstrike was now standing behind Ororo, one arm wrapped around her neck and the other aiming her adamantium blades towards her eyes.

**[**

**Bayville Highway**

"Now _this _is classic," Cole snickered as he watched the visor push against the invisible defence, both grimacing from the strain and fear. Where was his recorder …?

Cole's fantasy was interrupted as something landed on his back. "Playtime's over!" Kurt grunted as he ported both of them as far as he could.

There was plenty of room between the ground and sky.

Caught up in the thrill of his first teleportation, Cole was slow to realize the figurative and literal gravity of his situation. Only during the last half mile, when he noticed the ground rushing toward him, did he begin to scream …

The crunch that accompanied his landing cut the scream short, replaced by a series of curses and grunts as he rolled down the small hill and finally came to a stop near a large rock.

Mumbling about repair costs, Cole finally looked up when a hissing finally reached his damaged lobes. "Ya gotta be kidding …" he gasped as he noticed the source.

"Haven't ye heard, lad?" the feline humanoid replied from her perch on the large rock. "Cat's _always _land on their feet." _Now _Pretty Boy had time to scream.

Back at the highway, Kurt returned to find a freed Scott and Jean glaring at the small band of intact cyborgs. "Now: where were we?" Scott mused, fingering his visor.

**[**

**Bayville** **Forest**

Rogue cursed to herself as she ducked behind a tree. _Me and the metalheads_, she grumbled silently. Already the sound of grinding gears, heavy feet, and extremely coarse language were getting closer.

_Think! _Logan, along with Hank, Ororo, and the Professor, had drilled them in tricky situations since they had first come to the Institute. She could still remember his recurring instruction. _Figure out how to turn the mess around with what you have._

Lost in thought, it was not long before she ran face first into something and landed on her back, spitting out … feathers?

Looking up, she was met by the sight of a pair of wings hanging from a red suited body lodged a cluster of branches …

"Dammit, rich boy," she grumbled, pulling him down from the tree.

"Over there!" she heard a voice call out.

Rogue let loose a few more curses, then looked back at Warren. _What you have …_

"Sorry, Warren," she muttered, reaching down toward his face.

Less than a mile back, Reese fought a grin as he raced ahead of his men. "This way!" he shouted, heading for the clearing where he had heard the noise. Time to finish the job, so he could collect his pay.

Bursting into the clearing, he stopped abruptly when confronted with his foe: a pale, unconscious, winged twentysomething sprawled across a pile of moss.

"That's what made the noise?" asked Denis, as he ran up behind Reese, shaking his head incredulously.

"She – she was here, I say!" Reese stammered.

"Riiigghht."

Reese grumbled incoherently, until a flapping noise caught his attention. Cocking his head, he asked "D'ya hear that?"

"What?" Denis shrugged. "The bird? Ya know, they do have those in the forest."

Ignoring the jab, Reese raised his weapon and peered about. "That's a big bird," he mumbled. "Heading our way …"

With barely a rustle to announce her arrival, the 'big bird' shot through the canopy and into several of Reese's men, shorting them out as she phased her winged, metallic body through them.

"Ambush!" Reese screamed, firing his weapon wildly toward the big bird, only to see Denis collapse, crying "Nice shootin' there, boss!" before pointing his own gun back at Skullbuster and squeezing the trigger.

As he landed on his back, his cybernetic chest still aflame, Reese was already busy plotting his retaliation against his teammate. That is, until a small, metal fist at his throat brought his mind to more immediate, and unpleasant, matters.

As he felt himself lifted up by the metallic limb, Skullbuster's cybernetic eyes almost short-circuited as he recognized the goth girl; rather, the goth girl with metallic skin and wings, a metallic girl that was still knee-deep in solid ground. "Wh-what are ya?" he gasped.

The girl's metallic features contorted into a scowl. "The Manson fan," she snapped, lifting him higher. "'Cept Ah hate his music," she finished, before bringing him down toward the ground.

**[**

**Xavier Institute**

_About time_, Macon thought as he rolled through the breach and into the trashed rec room, ignoring Alex's still form. From what he was getting over the comm. his men had their hands full trying to survive the furious assault by these mutant children.

Now that he was inside, however, he could take out half their firepower in a sneak attack; something Cole and Reese weren't too fond of, immature show-offs that they were …

A sudden loss of vision interrupted his thoughts. _What in the …?_

Alex grunted and struggled to hang on as the tank-man swivelled on his treads. _Man, I have better luck staying on my board! _

"Get your hands off me, child!" Macon snarled, hurtling forward until he crashed into the nearby pool table, pitching Alex into the wreckage.

Seeing the blonde kid sprawled across the wrecked furniture, Macon sputtered incoherently, then hauled out his personal rifle. No _way_ this … teenager would keep bothering him!

Seeing the rifle, Alex acted on instinct and through a series of blasts toward the tank-man. This time, it only took a few shots before the rifle went up in flames.

"_Sheisse_!" Macon screamed, tossing the rifle and rolling menacingly toward Alex. "Do you kids ever _stay_ dead?!"

Alex gulped as the tank drew closer to him, crushing debris under his treads. Maybe this time …

In the next instance, following a low growl and a flash of blue fur, Macon found himself crashing on his side. Muttering a few more German curses, Macon pushed his tread speed to maximum.

Nothing happened. "_Nein!_" Macon yelled as he realized he'd lost traction. "I NOT DONE!" he ranted, pushing against the floor. "I …"

Macon went silent as something slammed into his still-biological neck, knocking him unconscious. "I think that's enough," Hank sighed, still brandishing the broken table leg.

Alex moaned quietly as he tried to pull himself up. Immediately, Hank was at his side. "Easy there," he urged, gently lifting Alex into his arms as he quickly checked for serious injuries. "How you feeling?"

Alex groaned as his brain finally registered the bruised limbs and other damages. "You catch the license plate …?" he mumbled.

Hank chuckled as he hopped toward the hallway. "He's not going anywhere."

"How'd you …?"

"One of the perks of living with a telepath."

**[**

**Factory**

"Yer … aim's a bit off, lady," Logan began, slowly rising to her feet. "It's me you want, ain't it?"

"I swore to make you suffer as I did, Logan-san," Deathstrike gasped, her arms not budging. "I'm a woman of my word."

"She ain't part of this," Logan insisted, taking slow steps towards Deathstrike and Ororo … _Ro!_ "Let. Her. Go."

"Why?!" Deathstrike spat as she backed away from Logan. "Were you so discriminating, animal?!"

"_I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!!!_" Logan screamed.

"How convenient!" Ororo was practically forgotten as the wounds, both fresh and old, came unravelled. "You do not remember the _murderers_ you signed up with?"

"I didn't …" Logan snarled, but Deathstrike was continuing.

"You do not remember your _missions _for your _country_?!" Deathstrike's hands were far from still now. "My family_?! YOU DO NOT REMEMBER THEM?!!!!_"

"You got the wrong guy, lady," Logan snapped, somewhat hesitantly.

"_Liar!_" Deathstrike hissed. "You _were _there."

Logan had no answer. Most of his memories were still hazy, after all. What _had _he done in all those years?

Did he bring this on everyone?

Suddenly a scent caught Logan's attention, and he almost smiled.

Turning his attention back to Deathstrike, he withdrew his blades and crossed his arms. "Maybe," he muttered.

"What?!" Deathstrike was up against the wall now.

"Maybe you're right," he proclaimed, spreading his arms. "I probably _was _an animal back then; it's all a fog by now." Taking a deep breathe, he continued. "But that's the past; it's over now."

"What you did is not 'over' for me!!" Deathstrike hissed. Still glaring at Logan, she began to slowly cut through Ororo's cheek. Unwilling to scream for the madwoman, Ororo clenched her jaw.

"Stop!" Logan yelled. _Keep her busy…_

"You see?!" Deathstrike pointed to the visible gash on Ororo's face. "Others' wounds do not vanish without a trace, Logan!"

"Yer the one stickin' the blade in her, lady!" Logan insisted, his voice rising. "What's next?! Ya gonna trash every spot I slept, dice up every schmuck I had a beer with?!!!" Logan clenched his fists; it was usually Charles on this side of the argument. "IT'S OVER!!! What's done is done, unless _you,_" he snarled, pointing a finger at Deathstrike, "start it up again!" Still glaring, he held up his hands beside his head. "Somebody's gotta walk away from this."

Deathstrike shook her head. "I do not have that choice."

Logan took a deep breathe, held it, then dropped his arms. "Fine; have it yer way," he snapped as he turned away from the two women.

"Logan …" Ororo gasped.

"Weapon X!" Deathstrike screamed, her adamantium hand moving away from Ororo's face to point at Logan's face.

"I'm done here; you gonna deal with the lady or what?" he yelled over his shoulder.

Even Deathstrike took several seconds before responding. "What?"

"Wasn't talking to _you_," Logan snapped.

As if in answer, a circle of glowing objects appeared down the wall to Deathstrike's right before exploding.

As Deathstrike snarled in surprise and turned to face the newcomer, two pairs of adamantium blades slashed through the wall directly to Deathstrike's left, which was followed by a shrieking X23 diving directly into Deathstrike.

"That's why I don't work alone anymore," Logan remarked as he watched his clone struggle with Deathstrike, until the taller Japanese woman finally kicked X23 off. Landing like a cat, X23 snarled and leapt towards Deathstrike, claws extended.

Hearing a new set of footsteps, Logan turned to greet the source of the earlier explosion. "Took yer time, Porcupine," he growled.

Ignoring Logan, Evan raced toward his aunt, who had just pulled herself into a sitting position.

"You okay, Auntie O?" Evan demanded. Ororo nodded firmly, still fingering the bruise on her throat and the gash in her cheek. Narrowing his eyes, Evan turned to look at Deathstrike battling X23. "I wouldn't bet on _her,_" he whispered, extending his wrist spikes.

"Evan!" Ororo called, but Evan was already rushing off to join in the fight that was already halfway across the factory. Shaking her head, Ororo muttered, "That boy never listens."

"I'll deal with him later," Logan grunted as he slipped an arm under Ororo's. "Let's just get ya outta here before this becomes a habit."

Ororo snorted softly.

--------------------

_Target located._

_Objective: Exterminate._

_Mission_ _Parameters …_

Little else was on X23's mind at this moment; not why she'd come looking this lady, nor what she planned to do next. Unlike Wolverine, who drew upon the rage he carried like a second heart, X23 fought at her best with those emotions forgotten. To her, combat was as natural as breathing.

Unfortunately, this lady was no back-seat commander like she'd expected; she knew how to fight, was at least as fast as X23 herself, and, so far, had not shown the slightest sign of hesitation or fatigue.

Another day.

X23 snarled as Deathstrike effortlessly deflected X23's latest volley; her limbs did not seem to move so much as simply appear wherever X23's blades attacked. Grunting, she hopped back and decided to wait for Deathstrike to come after her. It did not take long.

"You … animals simply won't die!" Deathstrike screamed as she leapt toward X23, both hands slashing downward. Rolling out of the way, X23 hopped to her feet and brought her claws in an arc to where Deathstrike's head … should have been …

Instead, Deathstrike was prone on the iron floor, sweeping her legs out from under her. Landing on her back, X23 had barely hit the floor before she began swinging a bladed arm toward Deathstrike's head, only to find it locked up inside Deathstrike's own adamantium blades. Without hesitating, X23 rolled toward Deathstrike, bringing her free arm down toward Deathstrike's throat. This time, even Deathstrike was taken off guard, and only a desperate shove brought it off the mark, leaving it embedded in the iron. Snarling herself, Deathstrike brought her free hand around towards X23's shoulder.

X23 howled as the adamantium blades drove through her skin, scraping along her own altered bones. By the time she opened her eyes, Deathstrike was back on her feet, holding X23 in the air. Gritting her teeth, X23 stared fixed Deathstrike with a cold glare.

She might as well have glared at ice. "You know what makes this easy for me, child?" Deathstrike breathed, tightening her grip on X23's shoulder. X23 twitched. "You are not even human," Deathstrike finished, bringing her other clawed arm up.

"Says the lady with the metal hands." The taunt was immediately by a volley of glowing spikes. Hissing, Deathstrike threw X23 to the side while batting down the nearest spikes and diving out of the way.

Without another word for the occasion, Evan ran toward Deathstrike, who was already rising to her feet. For once, however, she didn't charge back; instead, she waited, her hands ready and her cold stare unwavering. Eager to get in a few hits of his own, Evan was caught completely off guard by her next move.

In one smooth, flowing motion, Deathstrike spun out of Evan's path while arcing her left foot into the back of Evan's head, driving him into the stack of machinery she had been standing in front of.

Evan grunted as the stack collapsed around him, pinning him to the floor. _I am __so__ out of practice._

Deathstrike shook her head as she watched the young mutant struggle under the weight. _Pitiful_. Crouching near his still-visible head, she waited until he stopped struggling enough to return her glare. Bringing one of her fingers under his chin, she whispered, "Consider that your last warning."

Evan snorted. "Haven't you heard?" Glowing spots began to appear among the machinery. "I never listen to warnings!" The stack exploded, unleashing a torrent of spikes that Evan had pulled from every bone he could think of.

Deathstrike was already in the air, however, and the spikes instead peppered the wall in front of Evan. Landing like a cat, she splayed her sharpened fingers and snarled at Evan. "Fair enough! I will send your bones for the animal to chew on!" Shrieking, she raced towards a drained Evan. She was done holding back; finished clinging to her family's obsolete honour; now, _she wanted blood!_

Suddenly she collided with a pair of small feet, knocking her back into the weakened with enough force to smash through the already-damaged section.

Shaking her head, Deathstrike had time enough to note the sky above her before her attention was drawn by the shriek she had come to recognize. Rolling to avoid X23's stab, Deathstrike immediately lashed out, catching the girl across the side.

With barely a hiss to mark her injury, X23 swung her claws toward Deathstrike. Catching the first in one adamantium, Deathstrike grabbed her elbow and twisted it towards X23's face, snapping the normally unbreakable bone underneath. As X23 finally shrieked in pain, Deathstrike twisted her hips, tossing the young … _animal_ away from her.

Splaying her fingers, Deathstrike turned toward the prone fighter. Gone was her calculated plan to avenge her family by targeting the Weapon X and its genetic clone while keeping the others out of the way without harming them; forgotten was the respect for life taught by those who had raised her; even her father, in whose name she had set out upon this search, was becoming a faint memory. The primal desire for revenge was all that filled her mind now; anyone in sight would suffice.

Consumed by her fixation, Deathstrike did not notice Logan sneaking up behind her until he had grabbed her neck and back, hurling her over his head and into the dirt. This time, she did not land so gracefully.

"Give it up, Deathstrike," Logan growled, backing away. "This ain't goin anywhere."

"_You_ are not going anywhere!" spat Deathstrike. Shrieking, she dove after Logan. The grace she had demonstrated in her last attack was gone; now she swung her bladed claws in random, almost desperate, attacks, like a cornered animal.

The winds were picking up.

Without extending his own claws, Logan continued backing up, until he finally deflected one arm and slugged Deathstrike across the jaw.

The skies were darkening.

Thrown back by Logan's surprise assault, Deathstrike glared back at Logan. "DIE!" she shrieked, leaping toward Logan. Logan's claws extended.

Neither of them were prepared for the bolt that knocked Deathstrike back into the ground. "There's been enough of that," Ororo stated, her cold, almost regal poise returned to her as she floated toward Deathstrike.

Deathstrike gritted her teeth as she felt herself picked up by a gust of wind. The skies and winds against her now? Her disbelief fled her mind as she slammed back into the ground.

"No …" she gasped taking a step towards the Ororo. The weather goddess' eyes flashed, the sky lit up, and the clap of thunder followed. Snarling, Logan grabbed X23 and ran into the factory to pull Evan out.

Deathstrike leapt toward Ororo, only to land in one of her small tornadoes. Her eyes flaring, Ororo raised her arms, lifting a spinning Deathstrike with them. "Here's your revenge, Yuriko!" she called. The sky flashed again.

As it died down, Logan stepped out of the factory in time to spot Deathstrike hurtling off into the distance, while jagged bolts of lightning trailed her. Logan's eyes narrowed. _Even I never pissed off Ororo __that__ much_.

The wind and lightning died down as Ororo noticed the small group on the ground. As she landed beside them, she immediately blurted out, "Are they all right." Neither X23 nor Evan seemed to stir. "Evan …?"

"I said I'm fine, now can you put me down?" grumbled Evan. "This is emb-"

"Listen porcupine," growled Logan. "I've had a _really _lousy day so far, and I ain't in the greatest of moods; so why don't you quit yer moaning before I lose my cool again?"

Even Evan's spikes seemed to retreat.

Ororo shook her head. "Let's go home."

[

**Xavier Institute – One Day Later**

'Home', as it turned out, was still there when Logan returned, though not in the greatest of states.

The gate and front yard were in ruins, the cyborg's relentless bombardment coupled with the students' own attacks had levelled everything above ground level. Now, the only features in front of the Institute were the debris from the ground defences and cybernetic limbs.

The Institute itself was also noticeably, though less thoroughly, damaged. The front walls were littered with holes, ranging from the small clusters of bolt-holes to the large, car-sized gap left by the strange missile they'd brought with them. Hank, though refusing to give any conclusions, had guessed that it had something to do with the Institute's electronic systems shorting out.

The recreation room was in shambles; not a single piece of furniture had withstood Bonebreaker's rampage.

The worst damages, however, were crowded in the infirmary.

Logan, though wearing the stern expression he kept up around the students, was a whirlwind of horror and guilt. Here there was Alex, the mansion's newest student, still weak from the pain medication for the multiple sprains and bruises, yet forbidden to sleep due to his concussion. A bruised Scott refused to leave his side.

There was Jamie, the youngest kid in the room, curled up into a ball and refusing to speak to anyone, or even meet their gazes. _Battle_ _shock_.

Kurt, nursing broken ribs he had refused to admit to until he got back to the mansion …

Warren, still in a coma from Rogue's absorption, missing a few feathers …

Kitty, covered in shrapnel, fighting off her own concussion …

Piotr, breathing through a respirator, still stuck in metal form …Rogue, clutching her head, still overwhelmed by absorbing four abilities within an hour … Evan, still slowly recovering from a broken back … X23 … Ororo …

Lost in the shock of what Deathstrike, the Reavers … _he_ … had inflicted, Logan didn't realize he was rushing out of the infirmary until Xavier's called out to him. "Logan?"

Logan blinked; he was already halfway down the hall. "What?" he growled.

"Are you all right?" Xavier asked, rolling toward him with an ice pack to his head.

Logan glanced down at his torn clothes, then shrugged. "Nothin' that won't grow back."

"That's not what I meant," Xavier replied, still staring at Logan. Though his expression remained neutral, it was clear Xavier didn't believe him.

"Well …" Logan began, before glancing at the infirmary.

Following his gaze, Xavier frowned and waved his hand, indicating down the hall. "Come."

--------------------

"I got enemies, Chuck," Logan blurted out as soon as he'd closed the door.

"We already knew that, Logan," Xavier replied, rolling behind his desk.

"No …" Logan growled. "That's just it: there's a lotta thugs like Creed, Cornelius, Omega Red, the Reavers, and now this …" Logan paused, looking at his lap, "Deathstrike," he finished, furrowing his brow.

"And we've survived them all, haven't we?" Xavier asked.

"Barely. The point is, there's a lotta people after me because …" clenching his fist, Logan extended one set of claws and held it before Xavier. "Because of what I am." He snorted. "Or because I pissed them off," he added.

The corner's of Xavier's mouth twitched. "We all have pasts, Logan,"

"Yeah, and I got a half-century of mine buried away somewhere!" Logan snarled. "I didn't see Cornelius, X23, Viper, or Deathstrike coming until they had me where they wanted me! And …" Logan gritted his teeth, "you and the kids keep getting caught in the middle!"

All traces of humour had fled Xavier's face by now. It was clear where Logan was coming from: Sabretooth, seeking young hostages to use against Logan; Kitty and Kurt, used as test subjects by Weapon X; now of course, Deathstrike and the Reavers' attack that had half the team in the infirmary. Finally, he rested his chin on his hands and asked bluntly, "What are you trying to tell me, Logan?"

Logan growled. The thought had been lingering since he'd entered the infirmary. Logan had never feared for himself in a long time, but since he'd become part of Xavier's family, he had realearned fear; specifically, fear for the people he'd joined, the kids he'd taken under his clawed arm. "I just … I can't keep putting these kids in danger, Chuck." He let out a sigh that he'd been holding, then continued while perusing the floor. "And if I stay, they will be."

Xavier didn't even shift. "I see." Leaning back in his wheelchair, Xavier continued to study Logan, who was now studying his feet. "That doesn't leave me much to say, does it?"

Logan finally looked at Chuck. "I was … kinda hopin' you'd say _somethin'_, Chuck."

Xavier's expression hardened. "All right, then: if you think this is the best course of action, I had better pack my bags as well."

Logan wrinkled his brow. "Huh?"

"I have my share of enemies too, Logan. Magneto, Mystique, Mesmero, Apocalypse." His expression darkened. "My own son, who I never knew existed. If I thought being away from the mansion would keep the students and staff safe, I would have done that ages ago."

"Yer not listenin', Chuck!" Logan snarled, standing up.

"Oh I am, Logan. Very closely," Xavier replied evenly. "You think if you cut your ties with us, we'd be safe from your enemies. In fact, you wish we'd never crossed paths with us at all."

"That's what I'm sayin' Chuck; I'm drawing psychos like sharks, and I'm the blood they smell! We can't keep dodgin' 'em forever!" Logan yelled.

"Perhaps not," Xavier replied. "But, if you had never trained us, we wouldn't have gotten this far …"

"I ain't the only trainer around, Chuck!" Logan insisted, though some of the edge in his voice had faded.

"No," Xavier continued, "But we survived today, and many other days, by working as a team." Pointing at Logan, he added, "A team that you trained. So, if you are intent on leaving, ask yourself this: will we be better able to protect ourselves with you gone?" Logan just snarled and turned toward the door. "Will you be better off without us?" Logan stopped.

Suddenly, Xavier winced as something else caught his attention. Opening his eyes, he called out. "Logan, there's a SHIELD helijet landing outside."

--------------------

"Ya never could give up yer old habits, Fury," Logan remarked as Fury lit up another cigar. Despite Logan's protests, Xavier had decided to invite Fury in, and now they were walking down the halls while they spoke.

Fury raised an eyebrow. "Haven't seen you quit yet, Logan."

"I meant inviting yourself in without callin' ahead," Logan countered, rubbing his knuckles. "Might be bad for yer health."

"Why are you here, Fury?" Xavier interrupted, ignoring Logan.

"Calling ahead," Fury replied, pulling the cigar out of his mouth. "We picked up the Reavers your teams trashed out in the field. And, at the moment, a team's on the way here to get Bonebreaker and the weapon his team stole." Holding up a hand, he added, "And don't bother asking me what it is."

"We guessed," Logan growled. "What about Deathstrike?"

Fury shook his head, somehow looking even grimmer. "We swept the area; no sign of her."

"So she's still out there," Logan snarled, glancing back at Xavier.

"She'll be a bit busy running from us," Fury offered. "How're the kids?"

"Recoverin'," Logan snapped, a bit sharply. "That it, Patch?"

Fury narrowed his eyes. Logan had been withholding information before, and the way he sounded now … "Mind if I pop in?" he asked.

"It's an infirmary, not a zoo!" Logan barked.

Fury stared. "There something you don't want me to see in there, Logan?"

Before Logan could answer, an all-too familiar snarl echoed down the hall followed by raised voices.

"Look out, she's loose!"

"I got her! OWW!"

"Bobby, watch it!"

"Easy there; we don't want to fight …"

Fury's eyes widened before he ran down the hall toward the voices. Cursing under his breathe, Logan followed.

By the time they arrived at the infirmary, the room was in full uproar, despite the injuries. Everyone who could walk was moving to block the door or drag the unconscious patients toward it; those who couldn't were rolling off their beds to drag themselves.

At the center of it stood X23, her expression wild, her stance guarded, and her claws aimed toward whoever was nearest. Only Hank and Evan had refused to flee; they stood and sat respectively near X23, trying to coax her into relaxing.

Fury pulled away from the door, allowing shock to cross his face. In a rare show of anger, he grabbed Logan by the shoulder and roughly pulled him away from the doorway. "She's _here?!_"

Logan sighed; cat, or rather the wolverine, was out of the bag. "Yeah."

"Damnit, Logan …" Angry as he'd ever been, Fury could think of anything to say or do except to pull his radio from his pocket.

Logan grabbed his arm. "Don't."

"Forget it, Logan; I'm bringing her in!" Inside the infirmary, X23's ears twitched, and she lowered her claws slightly.

"C'mon, Fury. HYDRA's already taken half her life from her; you gonna take the rest?!" Logan snarled.

"I've sat on this too long as it is!" Fury snapped.

"Damnit, Fury, SHE"S A CHILD!!!" Logan roared.

"Don't preach to me, Logan," Fury deadpanned, turning away and switching his radio on.

By reflex, Logan brought several claws to Fury's throat. "Turn. It. Off."

Fury just glared at Logan. "You really want to start this?" By now, the whole infirmary had gone quiet.

"No one has to 'start anything', Colonel," Xavier interjected as he rolled up to the pair. "Logan, release him." Growling, Logan obeyed, and instead moved to plant himself in the doorway.

"I can't ignore this, Xavier," Fury stated.

"Nor would I expect you to; I only ask that you listen first."

Fury's knuckles were white by now. Finally, he relaxed his grip on the radio and crossed his arms. "You got one minute, Xavier."

"Very well: correct me if I'm wrong, but, as far as I know, X23 has not attacked you, nor even surfaced, in the past three years. In fact, apart from the break-in, the only people she has attacked were the same people you were trying to eliminate."

"Get to the point, Xavier; you just lost 15 seconds,"

"Then I'll be blunt: this girl is no more a threat to you than Logan, myself, or any of the students living within this mansion. And," Xavier continued, "if you wish to detain her simply for being alive, then you have me to go through as well."

"Don't go there, Xavier …" Fury began to warn.

"That was not a threat, Fury," Xavier interrupted, his voice and expression barely shifting. "But, if you wish to detain her, I have the right to hear the charges against her, a warrant …"

"You gotta be kidding!" Fury's free hand was at his head now, as he imagined going to his arresting a child he'd reported dead, explaining why he hadn't caught her yet, why he'd left her for a second; All for breaking and entering …

Behind Fury, Logan was fighting a grin. _Chuck sure can talk._ In the infirmary, most of the students were glancing at X23 and each other.

Fury looked back at Logan, then at Xavier. "You're protecting her, after she took you all down?!" he asked.

"X23 is a person, a mutant like all of us," Xavier replied, waving toward the infirmary. "If you expect me to send her into exile because of what she is, or what she was driven to do in the past …" Xavier paused as he glanced toward the wall. "Kitty, if you don't mind …"

Kitty, flanked by Kurt and Bobby, simply pouted before phasing everyone back through the wall.

Xavier returned his attention to Fury. "Quite simply you're in the wrong school."

"Oh boy," Scott muttered. _Don't tell me …_

Fury himself was rubbing his head as he ran through his options. _Now would be a good time to wake up and laugh about this dream_ he thought. No such luck; he was awake. And, either way, whatever he decided, he'd be in for one long, drawn-out headache.

Sighing, he backed away from Logan and Xavier to glare at both of them. "She goes off the reservation for one goddamned minute, you're all sharing the crosshairs with her! You got it?!"

Folding his arms, Xavier replied. "We'll take responsibility, Fury, as we always have."

"Fine; she's your problem now; I'll show myself out," Fury snapped as he turned to stalk out of the mansion. He needed another cigar.

The halls and infirmary were silent as the attention slowly shifted to X23. After several long, awkward moments, Scott finally spoke up. "Well," he started, standing up and walking toward X23. As he, somewhat quickly, extended a hand toward X23, he continued, "I guess we might as well say welcome …"

Scott barely noticed his hand being grabbed before he found himself hurtling into Hank. Snarling, X23 jumped back to her feet and swung her claws towards an approaching Jean, who pulled herself away. Without hesitating, X23 turned to the nearest wall. Four slashes and one kick later, she was off running.

"That went well," remarked Xavier.

Logan rubbed his head; now _he _needed a smoke. "Elf; lend me a port?"

--------------------

_Keep moving!_

That was the only thought on X23's mind as she leapt over the gate and dashed towards the woods. She had to get away, before Fury called in reinforcements, before they locked her away again, before the stench of brimstone … brimstone?

"Hey kid."

X23 shrieked as the deep voice grunted behind her. Instinctively, she leapt away from the voice and twisted to face it in one smooth manoeuvre.

"This is gettin' kinda old, ain't it," her pursuer remarked, holding his arms out to his side as he walked slowly toward her.

X23 kept her claws aimed toward him. "Why do you keep following me?" she demanded.

Logan shrugged. "Why not?"

X23 growled incoherently. "You can't keep me here!" she snapped as she turned away.

"Now why would I do that?" Logan's casual tone caught her off guard, and she whirled back to face him as he brought a cigarette to his mouth. "I'd probably save my kids a few weeks of sleep, and me a few headaches, if I just let ya run off on your own."

"Then what are you doing here?" X23 hissed, lowering her claws slightly.

Lighting up the cigarette, Logan continued. "Just droppin' some news: Fury agreed to call off the manhunt, if you hang with us for a while."

X23 almost laughed. "He did? What is this place, his new prison?"

Logan took another drag. "That's what you think?" Shaking his head, he began turning away from her. "And here I thought ya did your homework on the place before ya trashed it. Must be slippin'"

X23 stared after Logan. "Where are you going?" she yelled.

"Back home; have fun on the run," he called over his shoulder.

X23 growled to herself. "Wait!" she yelled, running after Logan. "What do you want from me?"

Logan shrugged. "I'd ask you the same question." Flicking the cigarette away, he continued. "But I leave the sales pitches to Chuck and the others."

X23 glanced at the debris-strewn building. "You want me to stay _here_?"

"Only if you want to."

X23 shook her head. Stay with the X men? Run with the college kids who attracted more trouble than HYDRA? Settle in one place, above the radar? While some part of her perked up a bit at the thought, her instincts screamed against it. _You'll make yourself a target! These people don't trust you! Now's the time to …!_

X23 shook her head; Madame Viper, again.

"So what's it gonna be kid?" said Logan, interrupting X23's thoughts.

"Don't call me that." X23 looked at Logan, then at the school, and shook her head. "And I work alone," she grumbled, hanging her head and turning away from the school.

"So do I, kid," Logan called. Ignoring X23's annoyed scowl, he went on. "But, hell, having a home base to fall back on, and some friends to back you up, it has its advantages."

X23 looked at Logan, then turned away and began walking.

Logan sighed; it had been a long shot. "So what are ya gonna do now?" he yelled. X23 shook her head and continued walking. "Well: the door's open, if ya need a place to sleep while ya figure it out," he called. X23 finally looked back at him, her expression still hard. "Your call," he concluded, before turning away and heading back into the house.

By the time X23 peeked over her shoulder, Logan had disappeared.

X23 took another look at the damaged house. No one except Logan had come after her, and all he had done was talk. Even the spook Xavier had not tried to ambush her as he had in the War Room. No one was chasing her now.

What was _with _this place?

**[**

**Xavier Institute – The Next Morning**

Evan groaned as the light snuck under his eyelids, jostling his brain and shoving back towards consciousness. It was times like this that he missed the tunnels; light was scarce, so sleeping in was the norm for most.

Rolling over, he reluctantly opened his eyes, and was confronted by a sleeping X23 in the next bed over. At the sight, Evan was instantly alert. Rolling off the bed as quietly as he could, he began sneaking toward the doorway. Maybe if he could get word out before she woke up …

"You make a lot of noise," X23 grumbled, her eyes still closed.

Evan winced, then turned to face her. "I, uh, didn't want to wake you."

"Forget it," X23 snapped, hopping to her feet. "I just needed a few hours sleep."

"Right; 'cause you're not staying," Evan nodded, his arms crossed.

"No."

"Right." Evan watched her as she slowly made her way toward the door. Something about her movements seemed different; her limbs moved as though they had extra weights attached; and her eyes fixated upon the ground rather than darting around her surroundings. As he watched her, something occurred to Evan.

"Hey, since you're leaving anyway, are you hungry?"

--------------------

"Jean, could you pass the eggs?"

"Where's the bacon?"

"Hold your horses; it's coming!"

"Bobby, can you, like, _please_ wait your turn?"

"Would you? Hey, quit that!"

BOOM!

"TABITHA!"

"Sorry Shades; it slipped. Though the milk face does kinda suit you …"

BAMF!

"Sorry I'm late!"

"So am I, now; do you know what brimstone tastes like?"

Logan watched as the kids practically fought among themselves to get the food to their plates. This was a daily occurrence; the kitchen could be more hazardous than some of his Danger Room programs, especially if somebody was _really _hungry. Over the years, he had gotten used to the morning clashes; it had been grafted to his life as thoroughly as the adamantium had been grafted to his bones.

And now, he might have to leave it behind, or risk tearing it apart.

Logan growled to himself; he was _dying _for a smoke now, but there were kids in front of him. _How the hell did Chuck ever convince me to follow __that__ rule?_

Suddenly, a familiar scent caught his attention and, despite himself, he grinned.

"Vhat's so funny, Logan?" Kurt asked, his mouth full. By now, Logan's slip had caught most of the others' attentions; Logan rarely smiled, and when he did, it was usually worth knowing why.

"Tell me you're not sticking us in the Danger Room?" a worried Ray added.

"You already had it," he grunted. "But we got a guest for breakfast, so you'll all be on your best behaviour, right?" he finished, fixing them with the glare they knew too well.

"Who's the … oh!" Kitty managed as the door swung open, admitting Evan and X23, who froze like a deer in the headlights when she noticed the stares.

"Uhh … hello," stammered Rogue, who had just dropped her bacon on the table.

X23 glared suspiciously at the other silent students, until Evan quickly breezed past her.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm _starving_." Spearing one of the nearby bananas for himself, he ripped another free. "Want one?" he called, tossing it toward X23.

Grunting in surprise, X23 extended her claws and impaled the fruit. After staring at it for a few seconds, she started to bite into it.

"Wait!" Jean cried, heading toward X23, only to be stopped by a glare from the shorter mutant. "You're … uhh … supposed to take the …"

"Leave it, Red," Logan grunted, fighting a grin as he walked out of the kitchen.

"Well, that's a start," Xavier remarked, rolling up next to Logan as X23 tentatively approached the table, where chatter was slowly resuming.

Logan shrugged. "Don't ask me how long this'll last."

"That should be up to her," Xavier replied before taking a sip from his tea.

"I wasn't talking about her, Chuck," Logan growled.

After shooting Logan a hard look, Xavier responded, "The decision's still yours, Logan. It always has been."

"_And what would a guy like me be bringin'" Logan asked._

_Xavier shrugged. "Well I am in need of instructors …"_

_Logan barked out a laugh. "Do I look like the teachin' type?"_

"_This is, primarily, a school." Folding his hands, he continued. "But it's a school for people like you or me; people who will be attacked because of who they are." The grin on Logan's face began to fade. "They need to be able to defend themselves when it becomes necessary. And," he concluded, gazing meaningfully at Logan. "Someone will have to teach them how."_

_Logan_ _grunted to himself. This was new. Here he was with a school of do-gooders and Salvation Army wannabes? And the head of that school was asking him, whoever he was at the moment, to teach them how to fight. Who said the world was sane?_

"_I'll think about it."_

"Logan?" Xavier asked, drawing Logan from his thoughts. "Have you decided?"

Logan snorted. "I'll think about it.

"So … uhhh …." Scott began, as X23 finally took a seat between Jean and Evan. "Since you're here, what do we call you?"

"Well …" X23 muttered, thinking back. What was it that Risman had whispered to her when she thought no one had been watching; that name she picked up off the toy she had smashed in the park …

"Laura, I guess."

**The End**

**Author's Note**

Own nothing, etc, etc ….

And her you have the conclusion of the Past and Present story. Just so you know, I wasn't planning on a two-parter; it just worked out that way. You like? Hate? Confused? Any/all opinions, welcome always.

So, to sum up. There will be more episodes on Logan's past on later dates (though perhaps not this season.) And, yes, X23 is staying for now; how long is anybody's guess.

Next episode: when Bayville is hit by a series of mutant murders, through 'unknown causes,' the X-men may be forced to turn to an old enemy who apparently cannot be trusted. (Like I'd name the enemy right here.) I will say, however, that the x-men may end up with a new member within the episode ...


	9. Honor Among

**Previously, On X Men Evolution**

"_Poison," Callisto hissed, knocking the drink from Evan's hand._

"_Though it would appear POWR8 is harmless to humans, so-called toxic eliminators are hazardous to mutants. Even through skin contact," Xavier reported._

"_You have to believe me; I didn't know it was dangerous to mutants!" Guy Spear insisted._

_As the limo sped off, Spear turned to his assistant. "I want us back in production ASAP," he told him with a slight smile. "POWR 8 just became a lot more valuable."_

"_When she witnessed loving families ... unexpected hostilities emerged," Risman told Logan._

"_I wish they'd take my memories away," X23 mumbled._

_X23 glared at Logan. "You want me to stay here?!"_

"_Only if you want to."_

"_Hey; isn't that one of Magneto's new guys?" Kitty demanded._

_Gambit grinned and tossed the card toward the X men._

"_So; you've always been a thief?"_

"_Well ... let's just say it runs in the family."_

"_You used me! Just like everyone else," Rogue shouted before walking away._

"_Let's raid this place and do some real damage!" Jean-Luc urged._

_Gambit scoffed. "I was right; nothin' has changed."_

"_You've had it bub!" Logan growled as he pinned Gambit to the tree._

"_Rogue ..."_

"_Don't," she interrupted. "You just did the wrong thing for the right reasons."_

**Bayville - Night**

_Not much further._

Victor Borkowski cast another furtive glance around before pulling the hood back over his head, stepping out of the alley and continuing up the street.

It seemed like a lifetime ago that he'd been trading stories in the locker room, dodging questions from his parents about homework, working up the nerve to talk to that new girl.

Then someone noticed the scales on his face.

Victor pulled the hood tighter around his face. It had been barely a week before the news spread, and his house barricaded by old friends and neighbours that suddenly hated his guts. Since then, the days - or was it weeks? - had passed in a blur of sneaking food, stowing away, and hiding in the shadows.

Victor squinted at a sign at the end of the street. _Greymalkin Lane. _For the first time in days the slightest of smiles crossed his face. He'd made it!

"Hey, kid."

Victor hissed involuntarily and swivelled to face the voice. "Wh - what?" He winced; having not spoken since leaving home, he never noticed the inhuman rasp his voice had taken on.

"Yep, another one," a man remarked as he stepped out of the shadows.

Victor gulped as he backed away. He dared not say another word.

"Kid, I ain't gonna hurt you," the man laughed, holding out one hand with the other behind his back.

Victor continued backing away. He was so close …

"C'mon; I just want a taste test from you," the man coaxed, holding out a bottle full of green liquid.

Victor shook his head and glanced toward the street sign.

"What you afraid of?" the man asked, continuing toward Victor. "You one of them _muties_, or …?"

Victor lashed out at the man's face and ran.

He was only halfway down the street when a board slammed into his chest, dumping him to the pavement.

"It's a mutie, all right," he heard someone call as several feet approached and began ramming into his body. Victor rolled about, trying to avoid the blows, and screamed. Neither did him any good.

Finally, the rain of boots stopped. Still wincing in pain, Victor glanced up and noticed the man who had approached him, bottle still in hand.

"Drink up, mutie," he snarled as he shoved the bottle down Victor's throat. Victor could barely moan as the liquid burned it's way down his throat.

_Not much further_ …

**[**

**Xavier Institute - The Next Morning**

_0800_.

X23 - _Laura_, she reminded herself - checked the clock as she slipped into the dining room. Where _was _everybody?

In the few days she'd slept over at the Institute, she thought she'd gotten a handle on the routine: Danger Room practice at 0600 - cakewalk compared to HYDRA's regimen - followed by the morning meal at 0800.

Only today, the Danger Room had been silent. She had sat there for an hour with no results, then retreated to the infirmary; she doubted she'd be staying long enough to use a room. Now, she was faced with an empty dining room as well. So she _didn't _understand this place at all.

"Hungry already?"

X23 - _Laura!_ - swivelled on the spot, fists balled.

The armoured, spiked boy before her didn't even blink. "You know it's Saturday, right?" Laura continued to glare. "As in, no Danger Room unless someone pisses Logan off?"

X23 lowered her claws; it was useless trying to intimidate this one, anyway. "Why?" she growled.

"'Cause it's the weekend," Evan replied as he slipped past Laura and headed for the fruit bowl. Laura glared at him over her shoulder. Shaking his head, he went on. "Girl, didn't _your _team have days off?"

"Team?" Laura had only ever heard that word uttered in hushed conversations between the doctor and Viper.

_"Our arrangement was simple, Doctor. You are on the team, or you are gone." _

"Yeah, you know." Laura didn't blink. "Or not." Evan rubbed his head. "Group of people? Watching your back, helping you out? Ringing any bells?" Laura furrowed her brow and shook her head. Evan sighed and sat down. "It's like this …"

At that moment, the doors slammed open, admitting the team as they flooded the room.

"Hey, where's breakfast?"

"Weren't you cooking today, Bobby?"

"I thought you were!"

"Oh boy …"

BAMF

"Morning! Vhere's zhe …?"

SNIKT

All chatter ceased as they noticed a growling Laura crouched on the counter, claws extended.

"Uhhhh … sleep vell?" Kurt tried.

Laura continued growling. The rest of the X men tensed up …

"STAND DOWN!! ALL OF YOU!!" Logan barked as he stormed into the kitchen. Immediately, everyone in the kitchen abandoned their stances and fled through the nearest exit; in Laura's case this meant the window. Evan took one glance at the window then ran for after the fleeing crowd, leaving Logan alone in the room. Shaking his head, he grabbed at the remote and switched the television on.

**"… latest mutant death in Bayville, the third within the past week. The victim has been identified as young Victor Borkowski …"**

Logan shook his head as the anchorman continued. _What a time to go sweet-talk the moneymen, Chuck._

**[**

**Somewhere in Antarctica **

**" … cause of death is still uncertain …"**

Magneto shook his head as he watched the broadcast. _They know nothing. No surprise._ After silencing the babble with a wave of his hand, he turned away from the television and returned to the phone. His operative was late reporting in yet again.

Dialling the number and summoning the phone to him without a twitch, Magneto waited until the mutant on the other end finally picked up. "You're late again." Without waiting for explanations, he continued. "Have you located the source?" He finally listened. "Very well; then you know what to do. I trust you remember the price of failure?"

**[**

**New York City**

**"… authorities have reported no solid leads in their investigation …"**

Ororo shook her head as she switched off the radio. "Not even a 'good morning'."

"No," Xavier sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "And today, of all days …"

"You mean while we're off to beg for money from these 'Good Samaritans'?" Warren put in from the back seat.

"Warren!" Ororo said sharply. Taking a breathe, she continued in a more even tone. "We are not 'begging' for anything.' Dr. Strucker came to us, and we are meeting to hear what he has to say."

Warren snorted; the business suit he had donned felt tight on him. "For the record, I still don't like it."

"Is there something specific about Fenris that disturbs you, Warren?" Xavier asked, hoping to soften the argument.

Warren shook his head. "No, and that's the problem. I called a friend at the S.E.C; from what he told me, Fenris is new to the market; aside from a few rumours about clinical trials and other pharma-stuff, no one even knows what they do. On top of that, no one's been able to figure out how they raised their startup capital, either," he concluded, his face set.

"So what?" chimed in Roberto, sitting next to Warren; Xavier had asked them both along due to their personal experiences with the worlds of high finance. "This is America; everybody got secrets, or they don't have made it _to_ the market. Besides," he added, raising his hands as Warren started to reply. "I'm getting sick of starin' through the hole in my bedroom wall."

Warren crossed his arms, a scowl beginning to form on his face. "I just don't like secrets; it's how people around my parents cheat the system, hurt innocent people, and come out smelling like angels …"

"Or, Warren, they're simply protecting truth that they fear would be blown out of proportion and almost beyond recognition. Much like our little secret," Xavier replied, glancing at the bulge within Warren's jacket. Warren immediately focused his gaze out the window. As the Fenris building came into view, Xavier continued. "Hopefully, this meeting will shed some light on your questions. After all, trust is impossible unless someone is given the benefit of the doubt."

**[**

**Xavier Institute **

**ACCESS DENIED**

Laura growled and raised a hand. She would get this machine working if she had to carve a door and hotwire it herself

"Need something, kid?" grunted a voice behind her.

"Don't call me that," Laura snapped as she turned to face Logan. "And this wreck isn't working …"

"Course not," Logan replied, taking a few steps toward her. "I shut it down for the day."

"Why?" Laura demanded, clenching her fists. "There's nothing else to _do_ around here …"

"Good," Logan interrupted, fighting a grin. "Cause Chuck asked me to float a little mission in front of you. If you think yer up to it …" he finished, crossing his arms and fixing her with an inquisitive stare.

Laura crossed her arms and glared back. "What is it?" she snarled. It would definitely beat slinking among the frightened little kids all day …

After Logan finished briefing her, Laura was sure: this place _was _insane.

**[**

**Fenris Inc**

"They comin' or not?" demanded the ever-impatient Roberto as he crossed his arms and continued tapping his foot. Already, his skin was glowing slightly.

"Roberto, calm down before you put a hole in the floor," Ororo ordered. Roberto's glow faded, replaced by slightly reddening skin.

Warren shook his head and looked over at Xavier, who seemed to be examining the front entrance, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Professor?"

Xavier looked directly at Warren. "Tell me, Warren," he began. "What does this," he continued, waving a hand to indicate the small lobby, "tell you about our hosts?"

Warren took another look. Except for the chairs lining the walls, the desk near the elevators, and the stencilled image of a dog barking – or was it biting? - at a sun or moon, the room was bare. In addition, though they appeared clean and in good repair, the various surfaces appeared better suited to factories than the plush, carpeted lobbies Warren had been dragged through. "That they cut down on interior design?"

"A frivolity our company has done vithout, Vorthington," interrupted a deep, heavily accented voice behind Xavier. As Xavier turned to face it, its owner continued. "Our money vas best spent elsevhere, on more critical expenses."

"Dr. Strucker," Xavier greeted, rolling towards the man and extending his hand. The taller Strucker stepped forward and politely squeezed Xavier's hand.

"An honour, Professor." Warren blinked at the scene before him; his first thought was that Einstein had clipped his hair and donned thick glasses. Then he reminded himself where he was and studied him more closely. Instead of the sharp suit and plastic smile he had seen many CEO's wear like second skins, the large man sported a white lab coat and a hard, almost saddened, expression. Behind him stood a young, better-dressed man and woman, almost identical in appearance, with matching blonde hair, hands behind their backs, and noses up in the air.

"I suspect you already know who we are," Xavier said lightly, waving at the three behind him. "And your …?"

"Zhese are my children," Strucker replied without looking behind him. "Andrea and Andreas von Strucker. They have offered to be your guides during your visits."

"Our guides?" Xavier asked slightly confused. "Doctor, if we've come at an inconvenient time …?"

"_Nein_, not at all," Strucker replied, shaking his head sharply. "Zhe truth is, I vished to speak vith you personally Professor. My children can show yours around zhe building, if it iz not a problem …?"

"Of course not," Xavier replied. "I was simply surprised."

The young man snorted. "I thought that vas impossible vith telepaths …"

"Andreas!" Strucker interrupted sharply. Turning to the twins behind him, he uttered something in German. Immediately, the twins waved towards Ororo and the two young boys, while Strucker turned towards Xavier. "Professor?"

"Lead the way."

Warren shook his head as he followed the twins into the elevator. Another pitch, another 'guided tour', another thief …

Warren's head snapped up as the thought crossed his mind. _Thief?! How did I get to …_

Then he looked back at the front desk. _Oh, that's how. _

Thinking quickly, he grabbed Roberto's shoulder and slipped through the closing doors, startling Ororo and the twins. "_Vas …?_"

"What the hell …?" Roberto began to demand before being silenced by Warren's hand on his mouth.

Warren jerked his head over his shoulder. "Remember that guy that broke into my house and ran off with that spiderstone piece?" he whispered.

"Yeah, so …?"

"The one that kidnapped Rogue and dragged her down south?"

"Man, where's this going?"

"Right behind me."

"What? I don't … ohhh," Roberto trailed off as he noticed the tall figure flirting with the secretary look up and grin in their direction. With a slight bow and wave, he slipped away into a side corridor.

"Was that …?"

"Yeah." _Professor? We got trouble!_

**[**

**Xavier Institute**

SNIKT SNIKT

Pausing in her work to glance around the grounds, hoping no students approached the tree she sat in. She was _definitely_ not in the mood for another confrontation.

SNIKT SNIKT

Laura let out a sigh as she continued scraping her adamantium blades. Though, in all likelihood they were not getting any sharper, being indestructible material, so far it was the only task she could think of that didn't ran with Logan's latest mission.

_"Yer job is to get through the day _without_ dicing up anything. Or anyone," he'd added, almost as an __afterthought. "Can ya handle that?"_

SNIKT SNIKT

They weren't getting any sharper.

Laura raised the claw for another scrape before hearing faint voices travel her way.

"… c'mon, Jean …"

"… don't know, Ev …"

"… you said … try … better hosts …"

Less than a minute later, Laura spotted the red-headed girl … Jean? … floating towards her tree. On instinct, Laura unfolded her legs and steadied her stance.

"Hey, Laura." Laura glared back. Jean looked at the ground then back at Laura. "Well, I was just wondering, well, you see, a couple of the girls and I …" Jean shook her head and tried again. "Look, have you ever been to the mall?"

Laura frowned and retracted her blades. "The what?"

**[**

**Fenris Inc.**

_Follow him, both of you_ Xavier instructed. _And please be discreet; we are still guests, remember._

_Got it_ Warren tersely responded before leaving in pursuit.

"Professor, is zhere a problem?"

Xavier started, then turned to meet Strucker's inquisitive frown. "My apologies, Doctor; my mind tends to wander."

"Not into mine, I should hope." A faint resemblance of a smile seemed to appear on Strucker's face.

Xavier shook his head, chuckling softly. "No, not without permission." His expression turned thoughtful. "Which brings me to an obvious question …"

Strucker held up a hand, shaking his head. "If you please, I prefer to speak inside my office."

--------------------

"You sure he went this way?" A dead end faced them.

Warren shook his head and ran toward the sole door in the hallway. "He must be in …" He opened the door only to be confronted by a stack of buckets, several mops, and other cleaning supplies. "… here." There was no apparent sign of the thief.

Roberto strolled up next to Warren, clicking his tongue. "So, what? He steal someone else's power, or …?"

"He slipped past us," Warren murmured, running out of the hallway. Roberto sighed and leaned against the doorjamb. He _hated_ being outdone.

Staring after Warren, Roberto failed to notice the movement inside the closet.

--------------------

"You're sure he didn't come back out here?" Warren asked again.

"No," the receptionist mumbled; the cute guys seemed to be coming out of the woodwork today. Shame they all seemed busy. "I think I'd remember …" she giggled.

Fighting an urge to roll his eyes, Warren continued. "Did you see which way he went?"

Within the minute, Warren was racing back towards the corridor he'd just left, his mind running equally fast. _How_ had Gambit slipped past them? _How _were they going to find him now? How …

Warren stopped dead in his tracks as he rounded the corner. How could he be dragging Roberto's still form into the closet they'd just checked? "Let him go."

Gambit looked up and grinned at Warren. "Ah, _les anges arrivent_? So tell me: any spots open past de pearly gates?"

Warren said nothing; instead, without taking his eyes off Gambit, he removed his jacket, unveiling the large wings hidden underneath.

Gambit sighed. "Dat's a no," he mumbled, and snapped his fingers.

--------------------

Xavier winced as Warren's surprise struck him. _Ororo! Listen …_

--------------------

The small explosion behind Warren drew his attention for the briefest seconds. Before he could return his attention to Gambit, the thief was already upon him.

Grunting as Gambit`s feet slammed into his ribs, Warren reached out to grab an ankle, only to grasp at empty air as Gambit rolled out of reach. As he leapt to his feet, Gambit drew and extended his quarterstaff.

Warren swore to himself as he landed; his wings were useless in such a narrow hallway. The thief definitely had the upper hand.

Grinning as he spun the quarterstaff, Gambit moved in.

--------------------

Though disturbed by Xavier`s message, Ororo`s face remained impassive as she went over her options. She had to get to Warren quickly.

Then she glanced at the twins, both of whom stood in front her, barely acknowledging her presence. _But how to lose my escort?_ Briefly Ororo considered telling them the truth, before reminding herself that it would cost her time she did not have. For now, the truth had to be protected by lies.

Fortunately, before she had become an African goddess, before she had joined Xavier and become a public face of the X men, Ororo had made her living through deception.

The doors opened, revealing a small, narrow hallway. "If you please, Ms. Mun - _vas?_" Ororo's face was flushed; her breathing had quickened and her nails were digging into her own palms. "Ms Munroe?"

Ororo finally looked at the twins, whose faces remained impassive. "S-sm-small spa-spaces …" she gasped. "I … I need to …"

The twins frowned at each other, then at Ororo. Finally, Andreas hit the ground floor button and slipped through the doors. "You vill contact us when you are ready to continue."

Ororo nodded, fighting a smile. As the doors slid shut, she straightened up and, with a grace that belied her earlier appearance, reached and unlocked the ceiling vent. She never did like small spaces.

--------------------

Warren leaned back, dodging yet another swipe from the wiry Cajun. _Enough of this_, he chided himself. There were other uses for wings.

As Gambit swung at his foot, Warren leapt upwards and extended his wings, wedging himself near the ceiling. Immediately, he lashed out with his feet, catching Gambit in the face.

"_Sacre!_" Gambit swore, grabbing his nose. Releasing his grip on the ceiling, Warren dove toward Gambit. Unfortunately, though still off-guard, Gambit pushed against the ground with his stick, launching him over Warren. Almost casually, he pushed his feet against Warren's descending back, driving him hard into the floor.

Warren had barely blinked before he felt arms wrapping around his neck. Sputtering incoherently, he lashed out with his wings again driving Gambit into the wall.

"Looks like you're out of cards," he taunted, pulling himself to his feet and advancing towards the downed Cajun.

Strangely enough, despite the obvious pain he was in, the grin had not left Gambit's face. "Perhaps." He made a show of checking his numerous pockets, then suddenly looked at Warren. "_Attends_; I t'ink I gave 'em t'you."

Warren finally noticed the rising heat under his shirt. _That sneak!_ he managed to think before something exploded, driving him into darkness.

Gambit rose to his feet as Warren collapsed, overcome by the chloroform Gambit had slipped under his shirt. Just his luck; the X men show up at his latest job. Maybe that was his cue to clear out …

Gambit sighed and walked over to Warren. If he cut out now, he'd have his client to deal with. Best to finish and move on before he got into any more fights, he told himself as he grabbed Warren's shoulders and began dragging him towards the closet. He had work to do.

**[**

**Bayville Mall**

Moulded from birth as the human weapon X23, Laura had shrugged off dangers that would have terrified others.

She had fought her way through HYDRA's training programs.

She had broken into SHIELD headquarters and escaped without so much as a scratch.

She had taken down the entire X men without breaking a sweat.

She had single-handedly wiped out HYDRA and gotten away clean.

But none of them had shocked her into near paralysis as the sight before her now.

Even a HYDRA base in the aftermath of her attack didn't come close to matching the chaos she found herself surrounded by. People, all in civvies aside from the occasional uniform, bustled past her without giving her a second glance. Sounds she couldn't identify - a collection of noisemakers and human voices wailing up and down the scale - blared out of every opening.

And the setup! Laura cast a wary glance around as the three girls - Jeeeen, Tab, and Tamara, she thought - set off into the bustling mass. They were in a wide open hallway, lined with small rooms - all potential ambush points; glass ceilings - why not just wave to the satellites and invite the air teams; and not a single hiding place in sight. She'd have to be _insane_ to wander into the middle of this!

"Hey, uh, X twenty-something …" Tabitha began, before noticing that the young mutant was nowhere in sight. "Uhh, guys?"

Jean followed Tabitha's stare. "Laura?" she called. No one answered. _You definitely owe me, Evan_.

"Badger's gonna kill us now," Tabitha mumbled as she ran after Jean.

It took several long minutes, and a psychic scan by a reluctant, frustrated Jean, before they found her outside, leaning against the wall and glaring at all passer-bys. "There you are!" Amara exclaimed, stepping towards Laura. "Did no one say _something _about wandering off in a …!!"

"Amara," Jean cut in, then turned her attention back to Laura. "Are you coming with us?"

"In _there?!_" Laura replied, staring at the mall entrance as though it were another HYDRA course.

Jean blinked; that expression was new to Laura's face. Wait ... was that _fear _she was sensing off her?!

Jean shook her head and turned to the other two girls "Oookaay; Tabitha? Amara? Why don't you see if you can find some things for her?"

"What?" Tabitha snapped. Her was day was heading for ruin. "Who made us her personal … okay, okay!" she finally assented, noting Jean's glare and the headache beginning to form. "Come on, Amara."

"We meet back here in a couple hours!" Jean shouted after the rapidly departing pair. Turning back toward Laura, she continued. "So, uhhh …. Up for a little recon?"

**[**

**Fenris Incorporated**

"I must say, I am curious about the reasons for these … arrangements," Xavier admitted, accepting the steaming mug from Strucker. "Should I not have gone on the tour as well?"

Strucker shook his head as he picked up his own mug from the side table. "I expect your charges can fill you in," he deadpanned. "I for one, vished to … vhat is zhat saying … get to zhe chase?"

"_Cut_ to the chase, I believe you mean," Xavier corrected, casting a quick glance around as he rolled up to Strucker's desk. The office was set up much like the lobby; clean, efficiently arranged, yet lacking any real attempt at decoration. In fact, aside from the desk, file cabinet, and a small counter, the room was bare. Not to mention closed in, Xavier realized, noting there were no windows outside.

"_Da_, zhat is it." Strucker replied as he sat down behind his desk. After taking a sip from his mug, Strucker continued. "Professor Xavier, I do not like mincing vords; I called you here because I believe that zhe cause taken up by zhe Xavier Institute represents zhe best hope for our species' future." Xavier sipped his tea and waited for Strucker to continue. "Quite bluntly, I vish to commit some of Fenris resources and expertise to that future."

Xavier laid his mug down. "I guessed as much from your phone call, Doctor Strucker. What I'm interested in the moment is what I do _not_ know."

"Vhat does a telepath 'not know'?"

--------------------

_How do you protect a building against a Guild thief?_

_Don't install doors, windows, stairs, or elevators._

Gambit grinned as he pried the elevator doors open, revealing an empty shaft. One building, wide open; if, of course, he could survive the mile-long drop.

Gambit jumped.

As he dropped like a stone into the darkness, he nonchalantly began tugging his long jacket over his shoulders; one jacket-chute manoeuvre to slow his fall. He then gripped his staff, which began to glow; one lightly-charged staff to dig into the wall. _Et voila_, happy landings.

That was the plan, anyway.

Unfortunately, Gambit would remind himself later, he hadn't anticipated running into adverse weather inside a building.

Specifically, the tornado that rose to meet him, checking his fall and knocking him into a nearby freight elevator.

Grunting as he landed awkwardly, Gambit barely had time to take a breathe before another figure floated down into view. As he finally recognized the figure, Gambit scoffed. "_Dieu_, you people are everywhere."

The gust of wind came without warning, slamming Gambit into the back of the elevator. "Not quite," came the soft, yet steely voice. As she landed softly, Ororo continued. "Only where we need to be."

--------------------

Xavier shook his head, an amused expression crossing his face. "Dr. Strucker, I'm not sure what the word is, but I have a great deal of respect for individuals' privacy; thus, I employ my gifts only in … extreme situations." His brow twitched; something Strucker's mind was broadcasting ...

"You have no idea vhy I vished to see you?" Strucker asked, sounding somewhat surprised.

Xavier shook his head slowly. "I'm afraid not; though …" he hesitated before continuing. "I can … conjecture that it involves something you don't wish to become public knowledge." He rubbed his head. "Something personal, if I'm not mistaken …?"

Strucker stared at Xavier for what seemed like a full minute before snorting and pulling a small frame off his desk. "You are scratching the surface, it seems."

"I'm terribly sorry …" Xavier began.

"_Nein_, _nein_," Strucker interrupted, still staring at the frame while waving a hand at Xavier. Taking a breathe, he returned his attention to Xavier. "Professor, I am seeking help I believe only you can provide."

"Help with … what, exactly?" Xavier asked.

Without saying a word, Strucker picked up the frame and passed it to Xavier.

Two young, blonde, unsmiling children stared up at him.

--------------------

"You're a long way from home, Gambit," Ororo remarked as she continued to pin Gambit in place. "What brings you into these basements?"

"_Pardon, mademoiselle_," Gambit retorted, straining against the winds. "Every _homme's _gotta earn his keep. Now, why don't …" He grimaced as the pressure increased. Briefly, he considered charging the elevator. Then he remembered one of the a lesson from his thieving days. _Charm without harm._ "Okay, okay!" he yelled. "Since y'askin' so nicely, I'm lookin' for somet'ing de X Men might be interested in."

Ororo's hard stare did not soften. Neither did the wind.

"But I ain't telling y'all from up here!" he added.

Finally, the winds dropped slightly, dropping Gambit to the floor. Crossing her arms, Ororo stated. "I'm listening."

--------------------

"They vere … conjoined at birth," Strucker began, folding his hands. "It vas only after their mother … left us, that I was able to leave my home and have them … separated." Strucker frowned, as though the word itself tasted foul. "Since then, it is as though zhey have had zheir own vorld to zhemselves."

Xavier nodded sympathetically. "Children are often hard to reach these days," he replied, his thoughts drifting to his own troubles with his charges. Then his mind returned to the present, and his expression turned inquisitive. "But why come to me, of all people?"

--------------------

"Well?"

Gambit grinned as he pulled himself to his feet. "What? Did I say I could tell you?" In the next instant, Ororo found her feet being swept off the floor by his staff. "_Desolee_, Stormy; 'fraid 'm not permitted to talk work, so …" Gambit's explanation was cut short as another wind burst drove him back.

Ororo rose to her feet, studying Gambit. Jean or Rogue would have been handy at the moment; they had a way into peoples secrets, something Ororo had always had to accomplish through …Ororo shook her head, willing away memories of that part of her life.

"Y'listenin' _chere_?" Gambit yelled from his spot on the wall. "I said I can't talk! Guild code!"

Ororo blinked. _Guild _code? Perhaps she had her own way in.

Finally, the wind died down, dropping Gambit yet again. "You're getting rusty, Gambit," came the still-soft voice as Ororo walked toward him. Holding out a hand, she added. "The code says only that we can't _name_ a client."

Gambit looked up. It wasn't everyday he was surprised. "But de job can be shared…"

"… with another; if they be fool enough."

--------------------

Strucker took a ragged breathe. "I vas … unfortunate enough to enter their room. Unannounced." He began to scrutinize his desk as he muttered, "They vere together …"

Xavier's eyes widened before he could stop himself. He was hearing more secrets from this man in minutes than he'd heard from any of his students in years. Quickly, he continued. "But that's not why you wished to meet with me, is it?"

Strucker finally looked back at Xavier. "When they saw me they …" he paused, chuckling without mirth. "They created a hole in zhe wall above my head."

"They're mutants." Xavier guessed. Strucker nodded sharply. "How long have you known?"

--------------------

"A long time," Ororo told Gambit as she pulled him to his feet. "I made other plans."

"Don' look like you forgot much, Stormy," Gambit laughed, taking out and shuffling pack of cards. "Dey did say only a t'ief could guess anot'er t'ief's play, and …"

"Gambit," Ororo interrupted. "One thief to another: is there something here I should be looking for?"

Gambit stopped shuffling and stared at Ororo. "Oh, you 'spectin' answers already? And you be offerin' …?"

"A tornado-free elevator shaft?"

Gambit sighed. "You bargain well, _mademoiselle_. But I be in a hurry, so you'll have t'follow." Together, they jumped

--------------------

"That is a long time for such a secret," Xavier declared softly.

"It vas necessary," Strucker growled. "Zhis is America; secrets are its most popular currency; zhey are bought and sold, blown out of proportion and exploited to ruin far too many good people." He glared at Xavier. "Your own X Men, for example."

"Truth does sometimes needs a bodyguard of lies," Xavier murmured. "But why not come to me earlier?"

--------------------

"_Le grands chatons_ always been de most fun," Gambit declared as he and Ororo landed softly at the bottom of the elevator shaft. "Y'look hard enough, dey's always at least a dirty secret or two buried six feet under." He took a card out. "Usually along wit' any loose ends dey can catch," he added, almost as an afterthought.

"Then why this one?" Ororo asked.

--------------------

"I believed I could treat them myself," Strucker bit out. "I sank all I had into this," he waved, "… believing I could solve the problem."

"And have you?" Xavier asked.

"_Nein_."

--------------------

"You familiar wit' de good _Amis d'Humanities?_" Ororo simply glared at him. "_Biens_. Anyway, I've had m'ear to de ground in Bayville; seems dey be a hot item out on the streets now."

"What is it?"

Instead of responding, Gambit casually reached into yet another jacket pocket - Ororo had given up trying to guess how many pockets it held - and tossed an object towards her. Catching it, Ororo frowned; it seemed to be an empty glass bottle. She turned it around in her hands, hoping to find a clue.

When she spotted the label, her blood froze. _Not again …_

--------------------

"You tried to help your children," Xavier offered. "by removing their mutations from their lives. That's unusual among loving parents." Leaning in, he continued. "Neither are the results of such an approach."

Strucker inclined his head ever so slightly. "Perhaps …"

--------------------

POWR-8

The label hit Ororo like lightning. "I thought this was shut down!" she exclaimed, unable to control her voice as the memories of Evan's poisoning and his disappearance that followed flared up.

"Puh-lease," Gambit scoffed. "When dere money to be made, always someone 'round to recall de recipe," he finished with a grin. Ororo just looked back at Gambit, her face undreadable.

--------------------

"Trusting others …. it has never been my greatest strength," Strucker admitted.

"It's always difficult," Xavier agreed. "Sometimes, however, it becomes necessary."

--------------------

"But the plant was closed down!"

"And here it be, on de street again," Gambit replied as he continued down the hallway.

"Gambit." The thief finally stopped and looked back at Ororo. "Do you know where this is coming from?"

Gambit just smirked and held his arms out wide. "Where are we now, Stormy?"

Ororo's thoughts flew faster than any wind she could generate. POWR 8, the 'hot item' somehow back on the street; mutants dropping dead from 'unknown causes' ...

_Always money to be made ..._

Ororo looked at Gambit: the career thief who had apparently worked willingly for Magneto; who had dragged Rogue into the middle of a Guild conflict and manipulated her into stealing information ...

_Had my ear to the ground in Bayville ..._

_Hot item on the streets ..._

Ororo's next thought went elsewhere. _Charles?! _

--------------------

"Professor?" Strucker asked as he noticed Xavier's eyes shut tight, then grow wide.

"Doctor, listen to me carefully."

**[**

**Xavier Institute**

_All available X Men: we have a situation at the Fenris Building. You're needed here immediately._

Scott was quickest to react to the mental call. "All right, Kurt, Rogue, Kitty, where is everybody?"

"They ain't here," grumbled Rogue.

"I think they all went to the mall," Kitty offered.

"Fine, then it's just us. Let's go."

**[**

**Bayville**

"What is this?" Laura asked, frowning at the cone in her hand.

Suppressing a giggle, Jean replied, "It's food. Here, watch." Exaggerating her movements, she brought the cone to her mouth and licked the substance on top. "Try it."

Laura looked stupefied. "Why?"

Jean sighed. _Why did I agree to this?_ "To … enjoy it, basically." Having a heart could be a real chore sometimes.

Laura frowned at the cone again, then finally brought it towards her own face.

"That's it," Jean encouraged as the young clone tentatively licked at the ice cream Jean had bought her.

The two of them were in an ice cream parlour that Jean frequented whenever she was in Bayville. After a half hour of walking around Bayville, which Jean had called a recon to entice Laura, she had decided to introduce the young girl to yet another indulgence HYDRA had denied her.

_God, she's missed out on so much_ Jean thought as Laura sniffed her cone, then gave it another lick. Jean couldn't imagine losing her entire childhood to a lifetime of fighting.

Then again, there were a few bits of her childhood she wished she'd skipped over.

One of them coming up behind her.

"Hey there,"

Jean narrowed her eyes. "I thought I told you before, Duncan," she began, before turning to face him. "My days of putting up with you are over."

Without warning, the blonde grabbed at Jean's wrists and yanked her to her feet. "Aww, come on, Jean," he slurred, before finding himself floating away.

"Anyway, aren't you supposed to be in prison?" Jean continued, as Laura joined her in glaring at her old boyfriend. Wrinkling her nose, she added, "And, have you been drinking?"

Duncan just grinned and replied "I got time off for … good behaviour."

"Yeah, sure," an unconvinced Jean replied, looking at Duncan's tattered, beer-stained clothes. "Come on, Laura," she called, turning away from Duncan.

Laura didn't move; instead, she continued to glare at Duncan.

"What are you looking at, little girl?" he grumbled, finally noticing her. "You want some?"

"Duncan …" Jean warned.

"You're another of them freaks, aren't you?" With that, Duncan reached out and grabbed Laura, lifting her small frame into the hair. A growl escaped Laura's throat.

"Duncan!" Jean insisted. "Put her down before she hurts you!"

"This little girl?!" he laughed, shaking Laura like a doll. Laura's glare darkened.

"I warned you …" Jean began, but Laura was already in motion.

**[**

**Fenris Corp - Lower Levels**

"'Dis should be it," Gambit explained, indicating the steel door in front of them.

"Should be what?" Ororo asked.

"_Le Saint-Graal_," Gambit replied snidely as he took a glowing card and began slicing through the door. As it toppled toward the floor, he continued. "Dis is de only passage dey don't even allow de mid-level people t'rough."

"So they're hiding the compound here?" Ororo questioned as she followed Gambit down the stairs.

"No better spot; people like _herr docteur_ prefer their dirt buried deep." Though he didn't look back at Ororo, Gambit's voice had taken on a definite edge that Ororo hadn't expected. But if he was here for the reason she thought …

"And when they're in your client's hands?" Ororo challenged.

Gambit finally looked back at Ororo. Instead of the cocky grin he often seemed to wear during past confrontations, he wore a frown without a trace of humour. "'M a t'ief, not a dealer." Without breaking his stride, he slipped his hands into a jacket pocket.

"Can't have one without the other," Ororo retorted, meeting the red-eyed glare.

Gambit sighed, and stopped his descent. "'Dere somet'ing y' wanna ask me, Stormy?"

Ororo bristled at the name, then spoke. "Why are you stealing the poison?"

Gambit's eyes glowed. "I take it y'mean besides de fee." Ororo just continued to glare, so he continued. "Dere be two reasons why we do 'dis. First," he began, holding up a finger, "to take de prize, make our living, put de gumbo on de table …"

"… and count your winnings; I know that part" Ororo finished, a bit impatiently.

"Den you know de second, I 'spect?"

Ororo looked down as her days with the Guild returned to the forefront. "To … deny it to the owner," she murmured. She had almost forgotten that part of the creed. A thought hit her mind like one of Gambit's cards; had she guessed wrong about his job …?

"Anyway, I a little short on time t'be 'splainin' m'self, so …" Gambit never had a chance to finish, as the air filled with noise.

**[**

**Fenris Inc.**

"I've locked zhe building down," Strucker reported as he returned the phone to the receiver. "Have you any idea vhat he's after?"

"Not sure exactly," Xavier replied. "But this does explain where the FOH has been getting its supplies lately."

Strucker paled. "Our pharmacy is in zhe basement." Shaking his head sharply, he continued. "My men are on zheir vay, and …"

"Your men?" Xavier interrupted. "What about the police?"

"I have a group on contract for such situations," replied Strucker as he stood up. "Zhey vill be better equipped to handle zhis mutant, if he is as dangerous you say."

Xavier slowly nodded. "I've contacted my X men as well; they've dealt with Gambit before, and …"

"_Nein_," Strucker answered sharply. In a more even tone, he continued. "I'm sorry, Professor, but I cannot have civilians in zhe crossfire."

--------------------

"Uuugghhh," Warren groaned as the load ringing in his hears finally registered. _How hard did that creep hit …?_

Warren suddenly realized where the ringing was coming from, Warren opened his eyes. Not that it did him much good; wherever he was, it looked a lot like the inside of his eyes.

"_Que demonios?_" Roberto mumbled beside him.

"Alarm …" Warren grunted, pulling himself to a sitting position.

"Can't be us; we were here the whole time, right?" Roberto grumbled.

Warren snorted, then reached out and tested the door handle. "Damn; he locked us in." Looking back at Roberto, he asked. "Can you get the door open?"

"I need sun, man," Roberto moaned.

Warren opened his mouth to say something rude, then closed it and just shook his head. "Just remember you owe me," he snapped, pulling himself toward the door. "Because I won't forget."

"Great," Roberto muttered as Warren began kicking at the door.

--------------------

As the alarms rang echoed down the stairwell, Gambit looked up, sighed, then looked back at Ororo. "Guess 'm out now, _non_?"

"You don't look surprised," Ororo remarked, crossing her arms. "Is this part of all your jobs?"

Gambit shrugged as he took out a pack of cards. "Alarms? Naw, not when I work alone. On de ot'er hand, a knife in de back is de chance we take when we let someone watch it." As he shuffled the cards, he added, "Course, I never figured it be de do-gooders coverin' fo' de dealers."

Ororo had no answer. She _had_, after all, sold out Gambit by reporting to Strucker through Xavier. All based on … Ororo's eyes narrowed as it occurred to her. _Based on something I didn't even know for __certain._

She had seen POWR 8, realized Spears obvious duplicity, assumed the same from Gambit given his history.

She had assumed the worst, and responded in kind.

As the silence stretched, Gambit shrugged. "Well, nice workin' wit' ya, Stormy, but it looks like I got m'work cut out for me."

As he turned to leave, Ororo raised hand and fired a bolt past Gambit's shoulder. "I can't let you go down there, Gambit."

--------------------

"Wait; yer tellin' meh Gambit's in the building, stealing that poison that was supposed to have been shut down?" Rogue asked, a bit sceptical.

Scott nodded grimly as he manoeuvred the jet. "That's what the Professor said. Why?"

Rogue just shook her head; a large part of her refused to believe what they were hearing from Xavier. "Ah don't know ... it just doesn't seem like ... his style."

"Are you kidding?" Ignoring Kurt and Kitty's sly glances, Scott continued. "Selling out is what this guy does, or have you forgotten?"

A death glare was the only response he got. "No; I ain't forgotten."

"Good, because when we get there, we're going in fast and hard."

"Uuhhh, Scott?" Kitty piped up.

--------------------

Gambit shook his head. "_Mon dieu_; is yo Prof _dat_ desperate for brownie points from his opposite numbers?" He took another step down the stairs.

"Stop!" Ororo snapped, sending another lightning bolt his way. "The police are on their way, Gambit; if there is poison down there, then they will find it …"

"Ha!" Gambit's scoff caught Ororo off guard. As she trailed off, he smirked without mirth and replied. "Dear _mademoiselle_, just what makes you t'ink dey called de _police_?"

--------------------

"What is it?" Scott demanded.

"Something on radar …" Kitty never got to finish, as the 'something' was already in sight.

"WOAH!" Scott yelped as a pack of large, grey helicopters cut in front of the Blackbird's path; only a desperate bank brought them short of a collision.

As Scott circled the Blackbird around, several choppers broke from the group and faced them. An unfamiliar voice came over the comlink. "SR-71, this Captain Muirtag, Wolfpack Security. Get the bird on the ground now!"

"All right, all right!" Scott snapped as he slowed down.

"Who invited zhem?" Kurt grumbled.

--------------------

"I'm sorry, Gambit," Ororo told the scowling thief. "We have too many dead mutants already; I can't risk letting you create more."

Though his eyes glowed brightly, Gambit's expression remained cool. "Guess I owe an apology, too."

Ororo's eyes narrowed. "For what?"

Instead of answering, Gambit snapped his fingers.

Something exploded behind Ororo. Before she could even turn around, she felt the invisible shockwave hit her.

--------------------

Xavier started as the sensation hit him.

--------------------

Ororo hit the ground hard.

"Nice workin' wit' ya, Stormy," Gambit called as he slipped down the rest of the stairs and out of sight.

Years of experience on the streets, along with the following years training at the Institute, kicked in as she rolled to absorb the impact, the slapped a stair to check her roll.

_Ororo, are you all right?_ came the concerned mental voice of Xavier; even with no mental powers, his concern was evident.

Ororo shook her head as she pulled to her feet. _I'm okay, Charles_, she replied. _Gambit just gave me the slip._

_Forget him; you must get yourself out of the building immediately_.

_Why? What's happening, Charles?_

_Armed men from Wolfpack Security are entering the building now …_

_WOLFPACK?! _Ororo knew the name only from stories passed among villages in Africa; most of them horror stories aimed to keeping children close. If they were here on Strucker's orders … Then something else occurred to her. _No police?_

_Not as yet; why?_

Ororo sighed. _Charles I think we have a problem._

--------------------

"Get out of the jet now!" demanded the soldier as his squad aimed their weapons towards the Blackbird

"Like, who put _them_ in charge here?" Kitty complained.

"Y'mean besides their guns?" Rogue deadpanned.

"We'd better do as they say," Scott decided, his face grim. He keyed the comm. switch. "We're coming out."

--------------------

_Absolutely not, Ororo!_

_Charles, please …_

_You know I never invade anyone's mind without cause; which I certainly would not place in the word of a thief known to employ deception to further his own ends!_

_But it is the only way to be certain_

_This is hardly the time for second-guessing …_

_You took a chance on one thief years ago; I'm asking you to do the same now!_

_I'm sorry, Ororo; I simply refuse._

Ororo's mental tone turned harsh. _Fine; I will find out for myself_

_Ororo! _She did not respond.

"Xavier?" Strucker interrupted. "I suggest you collect your students and get out of zhe building."

"Of course …" Xavier replied distractedly. He looked at Strucker; a relative stranger who had asked for his trust, offering what appeared to be several of his closely-held secrets. Then he thought about Ororo, someone he had trusted for years, whose judgment he had counted on.

Trust; the idea that he depended on, that allowed him to work with his team. How ironic that often it became a question with no easy answers.

_Never without the benefit of the doubt._

Xavier looked at Strucker again. "Doctor? I've telepathically informed the police about the situation, and …"

"Did you not hear me earlier?" Strucker snapped. "I said no police!"

"Why not?" Xavier folded his hands on his lap; Strucker's reaction was already bothering him. "I have knowledge of a crime in progress; I am obligated to inform the police."

Strucker clenched his fists for a second, then appeared to calm. "Very well; I will see zhat Wolfpack turns zhe mutant to them once he is neutralized."

Xavier narrowed his eyes. "Is there a specific reason you don't want police in your building?"

"I have …. No, nothing you need concern about," Strucker stammered, looking away.

Xavier, his expression unreadable, stared at Strucker for a second before nodding and pulling away from the desk.

"Ve're are you going?" Strucker demanded

"I'm afraid, Doctor, that, in light of what I've just learned, I've had to reconsider your proposal."

"Vhat you've learned …?" Strucker did not seem baffled so much as suspicious.

"Yes," Xavier glared at Strucker before manoeuvring the wheelchair toward the doorway. "As a telepath, I can be more than certain that about what your private army is truly protecting."

Strucker's face fell. "I thought you never invaded minds, Professor."

"Actually, I prefer not to," Xavier replied coldly as he wheeled toward the doorway. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment with the Chief of Pol-" Xavier stopped in midsentence as something slammed into his spine, firing waves of pain throughout his whole body and pinning him in place.

A young Wolfpack sergeant and his squad rushed into the room in time to see Strucker pull the prod away from Xavier, at which point he collapsed without a sound. Strucker looked coldly at the troopers. "_Abwickein dieses_."

--------------------

Inside the Blackbird, everyone started as Xavier's voice entered their heads. _X men: you're needed inside._

--------------------

Ororo finally spotted the now-familiar brown coat in the distance; as she watched, an object lit up next to it. "Gambit!" she called, jogging toward him.

Two glowing red eyes flashed as they turned toward her. In the next second, the card in Gambits hand followed suit.

"Put that away, Gambit," Ororo ordered, holding her hands out to her side.

"Sorry, Stormy," he drawled. "But I _am _in need of dese, t'anks to you people." The card did not move.

Ororo sighed. "So what's your plan now? Blow down every door on your way to the basement, then fight your way past Strucker's private army?"

"Somet'ing like dat. Why?"

"Are you up for a new plan?"

--------------------

"Sir, are we really …?"

"What'd I say about questions?"

"Uhhh …"

"My point exactly, so let's deal with this old man and get outta here." Sergeant Daniel Odiss smirked at the still form. "He ain't going anywhere, anyway."

Unknown to the trooper, his mind was.

_Scott, I need you and your team to get to Ororo and Gambit, _Xavier instructed as the larger soldier dragged him down the stairs.

_What about you?_ Scott demanded.

Instead of replying, Xavier sought out the other nearby students. _Warren?_

_We're good_, Warren replied as he finally kicked the door open and began dragging Roberto towards the hallway. _Just tell us where._

Xavier passed his newly acquired knowledge of the building to Warren, then returned his attention to Scott's team. _Kurt: I can give you Ororo's location relative to your position; just let me guide you._

--------------------

"_Le voila_," Gambit proclaimed as the door slid open. Ororo ignored him as the object in the midst of the mess of shelves, cabinets, and lab equipment caught her full attention.

"So it is here …" she murmured as she stepped toward the large tank of greenish liquid. Something on the front caught her eye. **500L** Ororo shook her head. For years, she had slept believing the nightmare was finished, that the poison was eradicated, that Evan was safe from it. Now, another 500 litres of death, 500 litres of negligence converted into genocide, 500 litres of her most miserable times lay before her.

"Ya Whirlpool Suite, Stormy," Gambit put in as he slipped past her.

Ororo's face hardened. "Get the top off."

"_Quoi?_"

Ororo clenched her fist and a cloud began forming above the tank. "No one's stealing this again."

Gambit looked at the cloud, then shrugged. "S'all yours." Without another word, he traced a glowing circle on the tank's lid and rolled off as it disintegrated, leaving a small hole in the tank. "J'st don' overflow," he called as he pulled a small pouch from his jacket and slipped out of sight.

Ororo's eyes whitened as the rain began to fall.

--------------------

"Uhh, sir?"

"What now?"

"I, uhhh, I think he's … waking up."

Sergeant Odiss' eyes finally widened. "Shit," he mumbled as he reached for his sidearm. "Put him on the floor, now!"

"Sir?" His youngest teammate, Lees', eyes matched his sergeant's. "What are you …?"

"We got a telepath about to wake up," Odiss snapped while loading his weapon. "What do you think I'm doing?!" Flicking the safety off, he aimed towards Xavier's head. "_Now_, trooper!"

Before Lees could even begin to stutter, the wall exploded, dumping a flaming object in front of Odiss. Then, to the utter bewilderment of the three troopers, it stood up and grinned at Odiss.

Acting on instinct, Odiss shifted to his two-handed grip and fired at the … _thing_. Instead of flying back as he expected, it reached forward and grabbed Odiss' arms before swinging him into the wall. _Hard_.

In no mood to stop, Roberto grabbed the prone soldier and hurled him over Xavier into the other two troopers. He grinned: life was good.

Lees, scared as he'd never been in his life, grabbed at his automatic and dragged it out from under Odiss' body. Before he could even take aim, a pair of legs with fancy shoes and stained pants landed on it, knocking it from his hand.

Looking, Lees spotted his new attacker; a blonde with large wings and a torn business suit. "Am … am I dead?"

"Not yet," piped up the demon as it started up the stairs. "But I can fix that …"

"_No_, Roberto," snapped the angel as it picked up the bald man. "But I'd say you've got a spot saved in Hell."

Lees gulped as the angel flew away, bald man in tow and demon on his tail. He wondered if there were any churches open.

--------------------

BAMF!

"Storm are you-?"

"Like, where's ...?"

"Look out!"

"Cyclops, don'-!"

Ororo's warning came to late, as Scott's trademark beam had already struck Gambit, driving him across the room with several crashes and a string of French curses.

"NO, Cyclops!" Ororo snapped, stepping in front of the younger X man.

Surprised, Scott took his hand away from his visor and turned his glare on Ororo. "You mind telling me what he's doing here?"

"All y'had t'do was ask, _homme,_" Gambit grunted as he pulled himself to his feet.

"Wasn't asking you," Scott snapped without looking at Gambit.

"_Pourquoi?_"

"Like we'd get a straight answer," Rogue snapped, her arms crossed.

"_Alors _..."

"Enough!" Ororo shouted, silencing both boys. "We don't have time for this; I need you all to watch the stairs while I dilute the Powr8. Understood?"

--------------------

"Building's locked down, Doctor," Captain Muirtag reported. "No sign of the mutants yet."

"Zhey must be in zhe basement," Strucker replied, leaning on the desk. "I need your men to secure it immediately."

"Parameters, Doctor?" Strucker simply looked at the man for a long instant before nodding slightly and turning away.

Muirtag nodded smartly. "Understood."

--------------------

"You almost done, there, Storm?" Scott called as he positioned himself by the door.

"It will be quicker if I am not distracted," Ororo replied, her voice and stare still cold. The rain continued.

"Hey, like, where'd Gambit go?" Kitty piped up.

"Whaddya think yer doin'?" Rogue demanded as she found Gambit in a far corner of the room.

"My job, _chere_." Kneeling before a small safe, Gambit removed a small stethescope from his jacket and began fiddling with the dial.

"Ah thought ya were here for -"

"Oh, I was." Pulling the safe open, Gambit began flipping through a stack of documents. "But, let's just say it does no good to steal de goods and leave de recipe behind."

"So what's the bag for?" Scott put in as he approached the two.

"Hmmphh," Gambit mumbled as he rummaged through the safe again. "Was kinda hopin dey'd have their bank info in here too. _Mais non_; maybe sometin' else fo' sale ..."

"I'm not hearing this ..." Scott muttered as he quickly walked back towards Ororo

"Aha!" A triumphant grin appeared as he pulled a small folder out." "_Voila, chere_, the poison manual."

"So? Burn it, already," Rogue snapped.

"Well ..."

An explosion at the door interrupted. "Hands in the air, muties!"

--------------------

"Sir, we got 'em," came Muirtag's confident voice over the radio.

Strucker put his fingers to his temples. How had it come to this? "You know vhat to do."

--------------------

"Look, take it easy," Scott urged. "We're not here for a fight ..."

"Makes one of us," one of the soldiers joked, flicking the safety on his gun. Noticing this, Ororo began edging away from the tank.

"Look ..."

"Hey boys, they're making a break for it!" yelled one of the men at the back of the group. "Take 'em down!"

A hail of bullets flew toward Scott before the man even finished. On instinct, Scott dived the side, though he knew they wasn't fast enough; in fact, several bullets were already ... passing through his skin?

Scott finally noticed Kitty's grabbing him in a bear hug as they dove, making him intangible. "I don't think they're listening, Scott," Kurt announced as he and Ororo appeared behind a shelf.

Scott gritted his teeth. "Drive them back!" he yelled, firing a blast towards the floor in front of the troopers' feet. Already, he noticed, the winds were picking up, heading in the same direction.

Muirtag swore as he felt the air pushing at his men. "Come on, ladies!" he yelled before another beam hit his gun, knocking it from his hands in a melted, useless mess. "Aww, crap ..."

Suddenly several glowing cards sailed in towards the troopers. "T'anks for comin'!" Gambit yelled as he shuffled his deck. "But we got places t'be!" he added as the cards exploded.

As the smoke cleared, Scott saw the band of armed men fleeing, or in some cases limping, toward the exit.

"I didn't sign up for this!" one of them groaned.

"I _told _you they don't pay us enough!"

"Shut up!" barked Muirtag as he pulled himself through the doorway, mulling over his options. He _couldn't_ run; they might lose their contract with Fenris. On the other hand, that small band of muties had more firepower than his entire squad combined. _What wouldn't I give for a few gallons of that special ... brew ..._

Muirtag looked back in the room. "Hey, boys, that's the mutant-killer stuff in there, right?"

"Uh, yeah, I think so," Rick, his lieutenant, groaned. "Why?"

Without another word, Muirtag pulled his sidearm from it's holster and emptied it into the room.

Inside the room, Scott peeked back around the shelves after the gun fell silent. None of the bullets had come near them; what was he trying to ...?

Then Scott noticed the cracks spreading along the tank of ... "X MEN; GET TO HIGH GROUND!!!!"

The tank burst open, spilling the liquid onto the floor, where it spread fast as anything they had seen. Inside a second it flooded the shelves where most of the X men had stood, barely missing Kitty's feet as Scott yanked her to safety.

"Oh man," Rogue mumbled as she noticed the liquid rushing toward her. Immediately, she scrambled up the nearest shelf. As she reached the top, she noticed, with what might of been relief, that Gambit had dug two glowing knives into the wall and climbed up to her level.

"Have a nice swim, muties!" Muirtag yelled as he yanked the door shut.

Scott finally let out a breathe as he looked around the flooded room, and mentally thanked Logan and Xavier for their often unpredictable Danger Room scenarios. "Kurt, can you port us out of here?"

"Port us vhere?!" Kurt demanded.

Scott sighed. "Kitty, can you get up through the ceiling and find a hiding spot?"

"I'm on it."

"Kurt, be ready to port the rest of us using Kitty's directions!" Scott yelled as Kitty grabbed Ororo's hand and leaped upwards through the ceiling. "Where's Rogue?"

"We really gotta stop meetin' like dis, _chere_," Gambit quipped.

Rogue glared at Gambit, and was about to snap back when she noticed her shelf beginning to tip. She let out a yelp as it began falling toward the floor, already expecting a very painful swim ....

To her surprise the pain struck her wrist first. _"Merde_,_" _Gambit grunted, still holding Rogue's arm in a vice grip. "What you packin' under dat ...?"

"You lookin' for a swim, Gambit?" Rogue snapped.

"I t'ink I'll settle for a ride." Suddenly, Gambit swung Rogue in some direction and let go of Rogue's hand ...

Rogue opened her eyes and realized that, instead of burning in the poisonous liquid, she was sprawled across the upended shelf, which fortunately was wide enough to rise above the pool of POWR8. In the next instant, Gambit landed next to her.

"Rogue, come on!"Kurt exclaimed as he appeared next to her. "Ve have to ... go ..." he trailed off as he noticed the cajun thief looking at him inquisitively. Kurt sighed. "Okay, you too, but no -"

"- games!" he finished as he appeared with the two Southerners next to Scott, who was already glaring at Gambit through his visor. "Cyclops ...?"

"Did you have to bring _him_?!" Scott hissed.

"Naw; he coulda just played one o' my tricks and left me to swim for it," Gambit put in. "De X men do dat now? I must've made quite an impression ..."

"Scott, we're clear," came Ororo's even voice before Scott could begin his retort. "We're roughly one mile above you in an empty hallway."

"I'm _so_ not doing that again," added an exhausted Kitty.

Scott gritted his teeth. "We're on our way. All of us," he added, noticing Rogue's glare.

BAMF!!

--------------------

"They're not going anywhere, sir," Muirtag gloated as he led Strucker down to the basement. "Any luck, by now they're not ..." he trailed off as he opened the door.

An empty room faced. "Vhere are zhey, Captain?" Strucker growled.

"They were right here, Doctor!" Muirtag insisted, pointing to the room. "No way they got out!"

"No?" Strucker's face. "And how did zhey get through your much-vaunted perimeter?"

"Uhhh ..." Muirtag began, before Strucker's fist crashed into his jaw.

"Did it not occur to you zhat you vere facing mutants? Zhe X Men no less?! Who have, among zheir number, one who can shift through valls and another who can _simply disappear?!!!_"

"We ... weren't briefed, sir; we deployed in a hurry and all ..."

"And you felt it necessary to destroy zhe sole supply of our compound?!" Strucker snapped. Without waiting for an answer, he waved sharply toward the door. "Get out; all of you!"

As the troopers filed out, Strucker returned his gaze to the liquid lining the floor.

--------------------

"Okay, I zhink I can get to zhe jet from here," Kurt announced as the group slipped around a corner.

"Wait," Rogue turned to Gambit. "Ah think ya forgot somethin'."

"_Quoi_?"

"The recipe, Gambit," Rogue pressed. "You said you were gonna destroy it."

"I said dat?"

"What recipe?" Ororo interrupted.

"The formula for that POWR8 stuff," Scott explained, hand at his visor. "Well, Gambit? Or do you want me to do it?"

"Wait," Ororo interrupted, stepping between the two boys. "We should bring it to Charles first; he will know what to do with it."

"Oh, you needn't worry 'bout dat, Stormy," Gambit grinned as he took a step back, reaching into a pocket. He looked back at the group facing him. "My client already knows what to do wit' it."

The hallway exploded in a billow of black smoke. "Sorry; part o' de job," Gambit called as the X men fell in coughing fits. Quickly, he slipped around a corner of the hallway.

When the smoke finally cleared, Ororo leapt to her feet and ran around the same corner, only to be faced with an empty hallway.

Gone like any Guild thief worth his name.

"Storm! Someone's coming!" Scott yelled. "We have to go!"

A frustrated Ororo shook her head and ran back toward the group.

**[**

**Bayville Mall**

"She coming?" Tabitha demanded, spinning the shopping bags she had accumulated.

Amara sighed. "Tabitha, for the third time ... oh, there!"

Tabitha finally noticed the now-familiar SUV, save the shape on top, weaving up toward the curb.

"Is she drunk?" Tabitha asked, as the SUV drifted away from the curb, then suddenly corrected itself and turned back shortly before rolling atop it.

Amara took another look at the top of the SUV. "Is that ...?"

Without warning, the shape flew off the SUV and landed behind Tabitha and Amara, rolling away with a snarl the two girls knew all too well. In the next instant, Laura was on her feet in a fighting stance, glaring toward Tabitha and Amara.

"Uhhh ... hi ...?" Amara stammered.

"Do that again, and you'll be an ornament on our front lawn for the night." Tabitha and Amara started as they turned to face the voice. In contrast to Laura, Jean looked as though she had been running a marathon for the past several days without sleeping. She also looked as mad as they'd ever seen her.

"Girl, what happened to _you_?" Tabitha exclaimed. "And how'd the other guy look?"

Jean's glare turned on Tabitha. "Just get in the car. All of you."

"Just don't do that again," Laura snapped.

"For the last time, if you _insist_ on going postal on everyone who looks at us the wrong way ...!"

"Laura went postal again?" Amara asked, looking slightly stupefied.

"That yellow-hair had it coming," Laura deadpanned. "And I _was _being gentle."

"Breaking all of his fingers, kicking him in the groin, and dislocating his shoulder is _not ...!!!!!_"

"Woah, woah," Tabitha interrupted. "Mini-badger here," she asked, pointing to Laura, "diced up Jean's old boyfriend?"

"I didn't dice him up," Laura said flatly.

"That's not the point!" Jean raged.

"So you just _beat_ him up?" Amara asked, looking more curious than shocked.

Laura shrugged. "If that's what you call it ..."

Tabitha and Amara stared at the other two girls. Finally, Amara blurted out, "That is _too cool_!"

"Ohhhh...." Jean moaned, clutching her head in her hands.

Tabitha grabbed Laura's arm. "Come on, mini-badger. You have _got _to share every bone-crunching detail with us before we get you fitted and all ..." her ramble trailed off as she dragged a shocked-looking Laura into the back seat with her.

Amara was about to follow when Jean grabbed her wrist and slapped a set of keys into her palm. "_You're _driving, Amara." _Evan, I owe you a few nightmares for this._

**[**

**New York City**

_A day's work_.

Remy LeBeau cast a glance over his shoulder as he slipped into the alley. After hiding in an elevator shaft for over an hour, then slipping past the Wolfpack troopers and losing himself in the streets, he was more than ready to hole up somewhere quiet and sleep through the next day. Unfortunately, he wasn't done yet.

Without a break in his step, he strode towards the abandoned payphone; since coming to New York, he had made a point to locate a number of ill-used payphones throughout the city, as they were generally the best for making calls under the radar. Remy shook his head as he looked at the phone; he may have walked away from his life again, but his life had yet to walk away from him.

_Not the time_, he told himself as he dialled the number.

His client answered immediately. "You're late."

Remy's eyes narrowed; that voice never ceased to unnerve him. "I promised you results, not an hourly chat, _mon - _"

"Do you have the documents or not?"

"_Oui_; you want 'em gone, j'st say de word and -"

"Have you forgotten? I told you I wanted them delivered to _me._"

Remy sighed. "Dat might be trickier."

"What happened?"

"De X men showed up; dey probably on m'trail right now ..."

The voice rose. "You were not supposed to involve them!"

"I didn't," Remy replied coolly. "Dey got in de middle o' t'ings, and now dey know about Fenris's little soup. Dey won't be hangin' back fo' dis."

"Then you have failed ..."

"_Look_," Remy pressed. "I got de only copy here, but getting it to you means leavin a trail, and you know how good de X men are at followin' trails." His client remained silent, so Remy went on. "You wanna do de honours? Fine, if ya don' mind inviting Xavier over for another of your chats. But if you want de recipe off the market, den I can finish dat _ici_, _maintenant_."

The line was silent for several seconds. When his client spoke, it was in that low tone that Remy knew all too well; back in the day, it usually preceded some very intense pain for someone. "You will deliver the documents intact to the meeting place tomorrow night, or I will come and take them for myself. Is that understood?"

Remy's face darkened. "_Oui_." _Mais non_, he thought.

"Very well; oh and if you even consider crossing me on this, it will not just be me you'll be running from."

Remy's eyes flashed. "Nice talkin' to ya, Mags," As he hung up, he wondered what he'd gotten himself into.

**[**

**Fenris Inc. - One Hour Later**

"Thank you, Chief," Xavier told the headset. "No, I fully understand. Good day."

"What's the word?" Ororo asked, her hands folded across her lap.

Xavier sighed. "Nothing."

"What?!"

"No ... samples to use as evidence, no security footage in that part of the building, and certainly no statements from the staff or soldiers," Xavier reported, a trace of bitterness in his tone.

Ororo let out a long sigh and rubbed her forehead. "So no taking them off the street."

"We _have_ denied them their current supply," Xavier offered. "Along with their formula."

"Until Gambit sells it to someone." Ororo's face tightened. "I'm sorry, Charles."

"For what?"

Ororo shook her head. "For not seeing this coming; I mean, I _knew _what he was capable of; I _knew _what he does for a living; I just ..."

"Chose to believe him."

Ororo nodded. "And look where that landed us."

"Trust is always a gamble, Ororo; in that, I was guilty as well." Seeing Ororo's questioning look, he continued. "Dr Strucker seemed to reveal so many of his secrets to me, it never occurred to me that he was hiding more. It seemed obvious to me that he was sincerely asking for our help."

"Perhaps he was," Ororo remarked.

"Perhaps; we may never know, now."

Ororo started the car and began pulling away from the building. "So what convinced you to look into Strucker`s mind after all?"

"I didn't."

"Charles ...?"

"I never probe minds based on vague suspicions." Xavier shrugged. "I'm afraid Strucker must have gotten the wrong impression."

Something resembling a smile formed. "You should have been a thief."

"Yes, well, my legs aren't what they used to ... good lord!" Xavier suddenly cried as a small pouch sailed through the open window into his lap.

With a quickness honed since childhood, Ororo grabbed the pouch, opened it, and gasped. "Charles ...!"

Xavier leaned over to peer into the pouch. Inside lay a small folder bearing the unmistakable Fenris logo. Nearby lay a glowing King of Spades.

"Charles?"

"Go, Ororo."

**[**

**New York Waterfront**

Remy LeBeau eyed the docked boats, his mind already racing.

Foremost among his thoughts was the need to get away; quickly and quietly. A boat was the best choice for now, if that damned fog would ever lift.

He had picked his boat out days ago, out of habit. _Always leave an exit near your work_, he had reminded himself, like any good Guild thief.

He almost laughed. Most good Guild thieves would not have turned on their client; especially one like Magneto. Not to mention the X men, who were surely tracking him as he stood here. His only chance was to disappear more throroughly than he'd ever tried.

He took another look at the sea. Strangely enough, the fog was just getting worse. In fact ... it was spreading to the docks.

_Merde_. "_Allo_, Stormy," he called without turning around. "How'd you find me?"

"The problem with codes for thieves," Ororo remarked as she landed on the dock, hidden by the thick fog. "They become predictable; if one knows the code."

"I told m'Guildmaster de same t'ing once;" Remy countered, turning to face her. "He said dat wit'out honour among t'ieves, we all alone." His face darkened. "Dat old man was always full of it."

"You don't believe that?"

"Just de last part; mostly, I figure he wanted a tool he could deliver on his say-so." Taking out and shuffling a pack of cards out of habit, he fixed Ororo with a cold stare. "So what is it _you _want from me, Stormy?"

Ororo snorted. "For starters, I'd rather be called Ororo than ... _Stormy_."

"Easy enough."

"And I wanted to say thank you."

Remy snorted. "Fo' what? Lettin' some second rate homme run off with my day's work? I'd swear I was gettin' rusty ..."

"Gambit." Ororo was already shaking her head. "This 'thug' is looking for you still?"

"_Ouais_."

"Anyone we know?"

Remy shrugged. "_Possible_. Couldn't say, though. And speaking o' which ..." He cast another look at his boat.

Ororo let out a bemused sigh. "Look, Gambit; I'm really here because it looks like you're looking for somewhere to hide."

"Your point being?"

She looked directly at him. "I know a place that just opens its doors."

Ororo had never seen anyone laugh so hard. "Of all de...!" When he noticed Ororo's serious expression remain, he managed to stop and ask. "Gambit, de X man? You really see dat?"

"Honestly? Not in this lifetime," Ororo replied. "But we _are_ mutants; strange cases are something we deal with every day."

Remy snickered again. "And Gambit would turn in his picks 'cause ....?"

Ororo shrugged. "That depends; you prefer staying on the run; being alone, being exploited by anyone with money?"

"Name o' de game, Stormy." The shuffle slowed. "Don't see no difference coopin' under Xavier's roof, workin' and sleepin' his hours, and marchin' to his tune."

"I think you looked up the wrong team," Ororo countered. "The Xavier Institute is not an _army_, or a prison. For me, it was a chance to take control; to earn respect on my own terms. And we don't _march_; we look out for one another when we need to, and leave them to their devices if they don't." She stared coolly at Remy. "Aren't you tired of working alone?" She took a step toward him. "Are you up for a new challenge?"

Remy shook his head and grinned, thought something appeared to be wearing at the edges of his mouth. "Quite de offer, _mademoiselle_; mais I think not."

"Why not?"

Remy thrummed his deck past his fingers. "Well ... let's just say settlin' down leaves me with an empty hand. And I play to win."

Ororo shrugged. "Who knows; even your luck may change, if you want it to." As she floated into the air, she called down. "Choice is yours; you know where to find us."

Remy looked at his boat, his escape route, then at Ororo's departing form, his invitation to possible sanctuary.

_Time you played this hand, LeBeau_.

Remy almost laughed to himself as he slipped into the boat. This had to be, by far, his craziest move yet.

**[**

**Near Brotherhood Boarding House – Evening**

Pietro was not accustomed to waiting. In fact, waiting was something he did _not _do. Not very well

"C'mon, c'mon," he mumbled, checking his watch for probably the hundredth time in the last minute. His father just _had_ to hire that jerk again, and he was one unbearably long minute late!

_Sure, sure; just meet by the neighbourhood payphone and wait until insanity sets in. _

The phone rang.

In the next millisecond, Pietro was snapping into the payphone. "Hello? Hello? ThisbetterbewhoIthinkitis, or ..."

"Now just a moment, _mon ami_," came the casual, unmistakable voice of Gambit.

"I'mnotyou'refriend. Youworkforme. So, gotthestuffornot?"

"Yeah, I got it," Gambit sounded surprisingly bored. "Had to throw de X men a copy to get dem off m'tail, though."

"What?! Areyououtofyourmind?! Ifmyfatherfindsout ...!!!"

"Relax, it wasn't de real deal," Gambit assured. "It'll just keep 'em busy for a day or two. Now, I've yet to see your _pere's _hand, so ..."

"All right, all right," Pietro allowed, laying his own duffel bag on the ground and opening it up. "Fifteen thousand, as promised. Nonsequential, unmarked, yadayadayada ..."

Gambit was silent for several seconds. "_D'accord_. But, just wonderin', what de big daddy want dis stuff for anyway?"

"We're not paying you to ask questions, got it?" Pietro sneered. "Just give me the stuff."

"Fine." Even Pietro was unprepared for the pouch slamming into his gut. "You got my stuff; now you walk away and ...."

"Hey, man," Pietro interrupted. "In case you didn't notice," he paused, wishing he could see Gambit's face. "I got _all _the stuff! Nicedoingbusinesswithyou!" In the next second, he was racing down the street, both bags in hand, sniggering at his own cleverness. Who said you couldn't play a player?

He slowed down as he reached the busier streets; best not to attract attention. Still, he got some strange looks as he strode down towards the prearranged drop point: a trash can in the Bayville Park. As he arrived, he opened the bag for a speed read.

A pile of Joker cards grinned up at him.

"I'm telling you, he totally sold us out," Pietro complained into his mobile phone some time later.

"Then find him," Magneto hissed.

"I tried! I went over all of Bayville 6 times! He's gone!" Pietro heard several metal crunches on the other end. "Look, your little poison-antidote project is going to have to wait, so ---" The line went dead.

At the other end, Magneto hurled the useless phone against the wall. _Do I have to do this myself?_ he raged. No one could be counted on these days.

He looked back at the lab he had built over the last several years. Now, with no research to go on, protecting mutants from that poison on the streets had become that much harder.

Suddenly a familiar voice on the television caught his attention.

" **... I have pledged my cooperation to zhe authorities, and vill not sleep easy until zhose who attacked my lab are brought to justice ..."**

Magneto's eye narrowed, and the television crumpled, silencing Strucker. _Wolfgang, you murderer; I am far from done with you. _

**[**

**Fenris Inc**

"Did you think I wouldn't find out?"

Wolfgang Strucker stared at the subjects of his interrogation. The girl shrugged. "Find out about what?"

"DO NOT BE COY WITH ME!!!" Strucker roared. "That compound was to be reverse-engineered, not sold on the streets like any common narcotic!"

"Why would we do that?" the boy sniffed.

"I have no idea; but I assure you: you may be safe from the police, but not from me!"

"We should be afraid of you?" The boy snorted. "We are not the Hebes you kept in your labs for the Fatherland. And we are certainly the infants you dragged around after you!"

"_Nein_, you are my children, which makes this even worse." Strucker shook his head. "Where did you get your taste for murder?"

"Where else?" Andrea sneered. "You sent our mozher to the S.S, and got your commission, did you not?" To Strucker's ashen face, she added, "Did you think we'd never find _that_ out?"

"You made out quite well, doing what you condemn us for," Andreas added. "You should be proud; we are the spitting image, _nein_?"

Strucker shook his head. "_Nein_, you speak of a different man, one who lived over a half century ago. I've lost my taste for it since then." He took a breathe and turned away. "So I'm putting a stop to this."

The twins exchanged glances, then stood up. "You make it sound so simple, _Fazher_," Andreas sneered.

"You really thought this was solely _our_ project?" Andrea spat as she joined hands with her brother.

"There's no stopping what we've signed on to!"

"In fact, we have a better idea." The twins hands began to glow. "You're going to disappear without a word, and we're going to handle things from here."

"You're long overdue anyway!"

The bright beams from their hands filled Strucker's vision as they burned into him ...

Neither twin flinched as their father disintegrated before their eyes.

**[**

**Xavier Institute**

"Easy, Chuck," Logan growled as grabbed the wheelchair handles, halting Xavier's pained struggles. "Yer still weak,"

Xavier chuckled softly. "It seems I'm in your hands, Logan."

"Don't mention it." A companionable silence fell as Logan rolled Xavier towards his destination: the rec room, where all the students had gathered; where he detected the continuous flares of shared experience, friendship, and trust that had held the team together despite their toughest challenges. An experience, Xavier hoped, could be shared outside the institute, despite the many tremendous obstacles.

"Penny for your thoughts," came Ororo's soft voice from the nearby hallway. Immediately, Logan's face snapped toward that direction. He swallowed hard as he noticed the white, silken robe the weather goddess had put on, that hugged her body in all the ...

"Or get 'em for free, if you look at Logan's face." That face transformed into a scowl as it turned toward Evan, whose barely-hidden smirk disappeared. "Or, you forget I said that ..." he mumbled as he scurried past Logan and into the rec room, bags of popcorn in hand.

Xavier chuckled as Logan rolled him into the room, mumbling a series of painful fates he had planned for Evan. Ororo followed, fighting to hide her blush.

The rec room was in full motion. Scott and Jean had claimed the love seat at one end of the room, waiting for their opportunity to sneak out; Kurt perched on the ceiling with a phone in hand, patiently waiting for someone to pick up; below him, Ray, Warren, Bobby, Alex, and Tabitha sat around a card-littered table as Bobby trying desperately to convince the others he hadn't cheated that round; Ray sat at another table listening to some of Alex's most memorable surfing episodes; Kitty, Rogue, Jubilee, Sam, and Amara crowed around the sofa arguing the merits of the program playing – something about people stranded on an island, it seemed; Jamie was busy chasing a particularly playful Rahne around the sofa, receiving an evil eye from a nearby Roberto; Piotr sat in a corner, sketchpad in hand and eyes darting from the scene to the pad; Hank stood near the door, a watchful, yet friendly eye on the full room. As Xavier, Logan and Ororo entered, he shrugged in their direction. "Bedtime does not seem to apply tonight."

Xavier shrugged. "I think we can overlook that for the night." He took another look at the scene. "It's not everyday we get the whole gang in one room."

"Whole gang?" Evan put in, laying the popcorn down and scanning the room. "Where's Laura?"

Ignoring Jean's wary frown, Hank replied, "She turned in early for the night." Evan himself frowned, then sat down next to Rogue.

"Speaking of which, how has she been settling in, Logan?" Xavier asked.

Logan shrugged. "She's ..."

A loud crash, coupled with Laura's unmistakable shrieks, reached the room.

"... workin' on it."

"Oh, that is _it_," Jean growled in a very un-Jean manner as she got up and strode towards the door. "If she hurts them ..."

"Hurts who?" Scott asked. By now, everyone except Xavier was on their feet, ready to defend themselves. "Everyone's here."

At that moment, the newly repaired door exploded inward, and was replaced by a tall, brown-coated figure hurtling through the air, narrowly missing Kurt and Evan, slamming into the wall with a loud "_merde._"

Laura burst through the doorway a second later, shouting "Intruder on the grounds!"

The 'intruder' looked up to find himself at the business end of six adam antium claws and and a dozen glowing spikes. Looking further, he realized that a room full of glowing eyes, flaming or iced-up hands, and combat-ready stances faced him. So much for a quiet look around.

"Ahhhh ... _bonjour_?"

In the next second, Logan had Gambit pinned to the wall with one hand, the other aiming its blades at the thief's throat. "Okay, bub; I'm giving you 10 seconds to give me a very good explanation." The claws inched towards Gambit's throat.

With a smile that belied his precarious situation, Gambit opened his hands. "I come to see if de good Professor's invite still stands."

"Invite?!" Though his arms didn't move, Logan's glare turned towards Xavier.

Xavier now wore the stern expression he reserved for disciplining his more rambunctious students, with a tone to match. "I don't recall inviting you to sneak around our home at night."

"Apologies, _monsieur_; I needed a quiet look around de place 'fore I knocked on de door."

Quickly, Ororo whispered something into Xavier's ear. Without losing the stern expression. "And are you satisfied with what you found?"

"Well, aside from de welcoming committee," Gambit glanced at the glaring X men, "_ouais. _So: de door still open or should I take my leave?"

"Oh, no ..." Scott murmured, sending Xavier a desperate glare. _You can't be serious, Professor!_

_This is what we do, Scott_. "Logan, release him. Everyone: it seems we have a new member to welcome to the Institute."

The room was silent for several seconds before everyone starded crowding through the open door, most checking their pockets or hurrying to check on their rooms.

"Somebody pinch me," Scott groaned.

Rogue put her head in her hands. "Ah'm gonna be ill."

"Got any spare locks in the basement?" Warren whispered to Hank.

Gambit looked at Ororo as the last of the complaining or staring students slipped out. "Dey always dis welcoming?"

Ororo shrugged at Gambit. "You should have used the front door."

Gambit shrugged back, the cheeky grin returning, until he noticed Logan's glare joined by Laura.

Strange; he'd never played a hand with such an unclear result.

**THE END**

**Author's Note**

Hello again! And, yet again, I bring apologies for yet another extremely long hiatus. Hope the chapter was worth the wait; I'm never sure when I finish them.

Anyway, next update (which hopefully won't take as long): a longtime friend of the X men goes missing, and one of them goes completely off the reservation to find her.

....

Oh yeah: I own nothing, the source belongs to Marvel and WB, yada yada.


	10. Road To Hellfire

_**Previously on X Men Evolution**_

"_What are you?!"_

"_Growing up looking like I do, I've heard it all before ...." Kurt mumbled before porting away._

"_I have a confession to make, Kurt," Amanda announced nervously. "I know you don't always .... look like this."_

"_You still wear your image inducer," Evan snapped. _

"_That means you're still hiding," Amanda argued._

"_Uhhh ...., vone step at a time," Kurt whispered, covering his inducer._

"_I thought your parents won't let you see me!" Kurt said._

"_They can forbid all they want." Amanda exclaimed. "I'm not giving up on us. And I hope you aren't either."_

**[**

**Bayville Church – Present Day**

"_Bless me Fazher, for I have sinned," Kurt whispered into the small opening he had not seen in ... years, at least. "It has been ... a long time."_

"_It has indeed," came the familiar rumble from the other side. "What's kept you, Kurt? I haven't seen you in years."_

_Kurt shrugged. "Catholic school, mostly; I didn't dare sin around zhe Jesuit prof's."_

_The priest chuckled. "Thought I was the only one."_

"_I didn't forget zhis place, zhough; I --"_

"_No, Kurt, don't apologize." Through the grate, Kurt could see his confessor shake his head. "God gave us the ability to grow, explore, and choose."_

_Kurt sighed and looked down at his image inducer. "He gave us the ability to do many zhings, Fazher."_

"_Even to sin?" When Kurt didn't answer, the priest nodded and continued. "Is that why you're here, Kurt?"_

_Kurt hesitated further. "I'm ... I'm not sure vhere to begin ..." The priest waited. Kurt sighed. "I tried to do vhat felt right, and I dragged my family into trouble instead."_

"_The road to hell is often paved with the best intentions." After a few moments of silence, he went on. "Perhaps you better start at the beginning."_

**[**

**Xavier Institute – 72 Hours Earlier**

"We're sorry; the number you have dialled is currently unavail-"

Kurt snapped the phone shut and seethed. Since her term had supposedly ended, Amanda had become unreachable. She wasn't answering her cell phone, and he didn't dare try her parents' phone; it tended to mysteriously change whenever her parents caught him calling. _Where could she be?!_

"Y'got a date wit' dat phone, _homme_?"

Kurt's expression darkened further as he heard the voice. "Not funny, Gambit. And it's not your business," he spat out as he turned to face the arrival. The reaction to X23's arrival had been nothing compared to the near-panic that erupted when Gambit had moved in. Scott had shouted at the Professor for a good ten minutes before Jean dragged him out. "Vhat are you doing here, anyvay?"

Gambit was shuffling a pack of cards. "Trying to lose de Wolverine." A brief scowl appeared. "De man needs a hobby"

"Maybe you shouldn't keep sneaking around; or up on people," Kurt pointed out, glaring meaningfully at Gambit.

Gambit smirked. "Did I forget to march and sing?"

Kurt sighed. "You don't get it do you?" The thief's expression did not change. "You just moved in vith zhe same people you tried to kill for Magneto, then kidnap for yourself. And here you are, sneaking through our house like ..."

"Sneakin's what I do," Gambit interrupted. "I'm bettin y'know why." Before Kurt could blink, the thief's hand shot out and snatched the inducer on his belt. Imediately Kurt's furry appearance shifted into his furious-looking furry form. "Ain't your little secret out by ...?"

In the next instant, Kurt appeared at Gambit's side striking him in the jaw. "Give me my induce–oof!" Kurt grunted as Gambit's foot slammed into his ribs.

"You wanna play, Crawler?" Gambit sneered, holding up a card. "Den you better be ready to deal."

--------------------

The crashes and shouts in French and German did not go unnoticed.

"_That _only took three days," Piotr remarked.

"You owe me 15 if it's Scott," Bobby told a scowling Jubilee.

"Isn't Scott away with Logan and the other instructors?" Jubilee retorted, wiping the grin from Bobby's face as Rogue and Piotr ran from the room.

--------------------

"Okay, _homme_; t'ink we've had our fun, _non_?" Gambit grunted while holding the enraged Kurt at bay with his staff.

Kurt just scowled and ported again, this time appearing above Gambit's shoulders. "Vhat vas zhat you said about finishing vhat you start?" he yelled as he landed on Gambit's back, driving the thief to the floor.

Gambit finally grimaced. "You say so." With his free hand, he grabbed a nearby pan.

"THAT IS ENOUGH!" Piotr roared as he pried Kurt off of Gambit and pinned the thief to the floor with his foot. Then he noticed the glowing pan. "Rogue ..."

"Got it." After throwing open the window, Rogue grabbed the pan and tossed it outside.

As the explosion finally died down, Rogue turned to Kurt struggling to escape Piotr's grasp. "All right, Pete, put him down." As the large metal Russian gently lowered Kurt to the floor, Rogue turned her attention to him. "You mind tellin' me what's goin' on?"

Kurt shook his head. "Not now, Rogue." Without another work, he disappeared.

"Dat blueboy's got some temper," Gambit gasped as he sat up.

Rogue glared down at the thief. "News flash, Gambit; it takes a lot to piss _him _off."

"Have you not heard?" Piotr remarked as he helped Gambit to his feet. "That is one of his many talents." Gambit just grinned and shrugged.

Rogue's glare did not soften. "Funny; Ah thought his talent was _stealin' _people," she spat as she snatched the inducer in Gambit's hand and turned towards the door. "Or playin' 'em," she called over her shoulder as she left the room.

"Dat too," Gambit mumbled as he sat on a counter. "Were dey like dis when you showed up?"

"Do not ask me, comrade," Piotr shook his head, fighting a smile. "I did not have your talents."

--------------------

"Kurt?" Rogue called as she pushed open the door.

"I'm changing!" she heard him reply.

"So hurry it up!" She strode inside to find a fully clothed Kurt sitting on his bed, hunched over his phone. Rogue's heart tightened; the last time he'd seen him like this, he had just learned about Mystique being his mother. "You all right?"

Kurt finally looked up. "Amanda's not answering her phone."

"Oh, gosh ..." Rogue watched as Kurt punched another number into his phone. "Kurt, Ah'm ..."

"Hello? Hello?!" Kurt stood up and began to pace, his tail flicking about like a whip. "My name is Kurt Wagner; I'm trying to contact Amanda Sefton .... No, I .... But she knows who I am! .... okay, okay, I understand .... wait, please don't hang up .... Look, can you just tell her Kurt Wagner is calling? .... okay, zhank you, I'll hold."

He waited, bobbing slightly; he looked ready to hit the ceiling. "Kurt, will ya calm down?"

"Not until I know!" Kurt snapped. Suddenly, his face lit up. "Hello? Is she ....?" The energy seemed to drain from his face as he listened to the other end.

"Kurt?" asked a concerned Rogue as he slowly lowered the receiver.

"Her ... her room ..." he whispered. "She ... she moved out ..."

"Kurt?" The usually playful, friendly mutant was now gripping the receiver as though it had become his mortal enemy. "Kurt, listen ..."

BAMF!

Rogue coughed and waved away the smoke. "Oh no."

**[**

**Sefton Home**

"_What are you; some kinda freak?"_

Kurt's mind was far from his blue, furry appearance, one that had drawn looks of fear, of hate, or sheer revulsion his entire life, as he ran up the steps towards the house.

"_Check for friends when you wander the halls looking like this!"_

Amanda's house. He had only been near it once, for the dinner that had ended in disaster.

"_I don't want to see that .... freak again!"_

Kurt's hand was pressing hard on the doorbell before he consciously realized it. No one answered.

"_I don't care what they think; they don't know you like I do!"_

"Mr. Sefton? Mrs. Sefton?" he yelled. He checked over his shoulder; both cars in the driveway. Where _were _they?

"_I'm not giving up on us!"_

Kurt found himself forgetting the doorbell and pounding at the wood instead. "MR. AND MRS. SEFTON!!!" Months separated by an entire country; these discreet visits during the summer had kept him sane during his first year. Was he about to lose even that?

"_I hope you aren't either."_

Kurt was getting ready to port inside when the door inched open, revealing a glaring Mr. Sefton. "What do you think you're doing?"

Kurt took a breath. "Is Amanda around?"

The door didn't move. "I thought I told you to stay away."

Kurt bit back an urge to shout back. "Mr. Sefton, please; I ..."

"You've caused us enough trouble!"

"Or were you hoping to _burn_ the place down, now?" put in Mrs. Sefton as she joined her husband.

Kurt grimaced. _Thank you, Tolanski._ "I only want to know if she is alright."

"That is none of your business!" By now, the Seftons seemed at least as worked up as Kurt. "Now, please: leave us alone ..."

"NEIN!" Kurt had lost to the urge. "I care about Amanda at least as much as you do; zhere is no vay I'm just valking away!"

"Mr. Wagner," Mrs. Sefton began, but Kurt wasn't finsished.

"I never had to hide from her; you have no right to make her hide from me!" Suddenly, Kurt appeared on the wall next to the door jamb, his face leaning towards the Seftons. "VHERE IS SHE!!!"

The shocked couple stared back for several seconds. "She's in Europe, with a backpacking group," Mrs. Sefton stammered.

"She never told me about any backpacking trip," Kurt retorted, his eyes locked on the couples'.

Mrs. Sefton turned her gaze towards the ground. "She asked us not to tell you ... said she needed some ... time to herself."

Kurt stared. "I don't believe you."

"That's too bad, then," Mr. Sefton snapped as he slammed the door shut.

Kurt slammed a fist against the door. Everyone was hiding away, hiding _him_ away in mansions, churches, or image inducers. His hand went to his furry face; was this all the fuzzy man could hope for ...?

_Nein. _"MR AND MRS SEFTON!!" he screamed at the closed door, before he began pounding on it with his feet.

"There a problem here?"

Kurt whipped his face around and found himself confronted by two policeman, one with his hand on his holster.

"Never mind; I think I see it," the other policeman sneered. Kurt looked down towards his hand and finally realized his disguise had dropped yet again.

"Get down from the porch and keep your hands where I can see them."

"That includes the tail, freak."

_Vunderbar_.

**[**

"_Tail?"_

_Kurt stopped himself as he realized he'd let slip the secret he'd been keeping from this man for years. "Ja, uhhh ..." he mumbled. "Zhat's ....somezhing I never confessed to."_

"_You have a tail?"_

_Kurt sighed. "I don't ..... always .... look human," he finally spat._

_That admission was met by another long silence. "I see," the priest finally murmured. "Is that all?"_

_Kurt shook his head. "I vish."_

**[**

**Xavier Institute **

"Have you anything to say, Kurt?"

Kurt shook his head as he continued to scrutinize the desk in front of him. Even while being frisked and then cuffed by the officers, then dragged through 'booking', as they seemed to call it, he had not felt so small, so exposed. For a second, he wondered if it was the Professor's telepathy. Then he reminded himself that Xavier never used his telepathy on others, unless they became an enemy ...

"No?" Xavier leaned back in his wheelchair, his hands folded and his stare never leaving Kurt. Only his cold voice gave away any sign of anger. "It is a sheer miracle that you are not awaiting trial for harassing the Seftons. And I hardly need mention what your actions have brought upon the Institute as a whole. What each of us does reflects on the entire team, not to mention mutantkind as a whole ..."

"I'm _sorry_, Professor," Kurt, interrupted.

Xavier was already shaking his head. "I'm afraid that won't do, Kurt; given that we're all sharing the consequences of your decisions, I think I'm entitled to an explanation at the very least."

"You _know _vhy," Kurt snapped.

Xavier's expression softened slightly. "Kurt, it's no secret how close you and Amanda were. But ...." Xavier glanced down at his desk as though searching for cues, "People change in ways we often don't imagine. And if Amanda has ..."

"Has vhat, Professor?" Kurt demanded, standing up.

Xavier met his gaze. "If she has decided to ... go her own way, then it's hardly for us, or _you, _to interfere."

"If?!" Kurt forgot how small he felt. "Vhat if she hasn't _decided _at all?"

"Kurt, that's a serious leap ..."

"Are you serious Professor?!" Kurt's outburst caught even Xavier off guard. "I met vone of my friends inside an alternate universe; my mozher vas our mortal enemy; I end up in zhe same house as meine schwester; your college buddy herr Magneto throws us into a fight vith a giant robot ... oh, and need I mention zhe _millenium-old mutant who rose from zhe dead to end zhe world_?!"

Had Xavier not been angry with his longtime student, he might have laughed; their experiences did, in retrospect, seem the stuff of the graphic novels that currently overwhelmed many of the younger boys' rooms. Then he remembered himself. "You're right, Kurt," he responded carefully. "We face many fantastic, all too real dangers. Too many, in fact, to be chasing every hypothetical situation that crosses our minds," he added as he began wheeling away from the desk.

"I am _not ..._"

"Kurt." Hearing the cold tone of voice, Kurt stopped. "We will discuss your probation later; for now, you are restricted to the Institute until further notice. And, from now on, you will stay away from the Seftons, and not pursue the matter further."

Kurt stood aghast. "You're telling me to give up on her?!"

"No." Xavier stopped next to Kurt. "I am suggesting that you respect Amanda as an adult." Rolling away, he added, "And I am _telling_ you to start acting like one."

Though his fists were clenched as tight as they'd ever been, and his tail seemed engaged in a duel with the air, Kurt finally nodded. "I understand, Professor." Without another word, he turned his back on Xavier and walked through the front door, aware of Xavier's probing stare behind him.

--------------------

"So what's the damage?"

Kurt looked up from his perch on the balcony railing. "I'm not in zhe mood, Tabitha; find another partner in crime."

Tabitha whistled at Kurt's tone as she strode inside. "Brrrrrr," she announced in the lowest voice she could manage.

Kurt shot her a sour look as she joined him on the balcony. "Vhat do you vant?"

Tabitha frowned mischievously. "Well that depends; you wanna drop a few bombs in the Professor 'Thou Shalt Not Disobey''s office." After staring at a sullen Kurt for a few moments, she went on. "Or you could go finish that brawl with the Cajun, so I can watch this time; I swear, that guy is the creepiest thief I ever had to share a house with ..."

"Vill you please leave me alone?" Kurt said sharply.

"Nahh; you'll be no fun for the rest of probation. So fess up: what's going on? I heard the po's got involved."

Kurt sighed; there was no ordering Tabitha off. "You vant to know about _my _problems."

Tabitha shrugged. "Hey, I talked our fearless leader junior out of his rut." Holding up two fingers, she added, "Who knows; I might end up on a roll. So?"

Kurt snorted. "I can't get a hold of Amanda, and zhe Prof's telling me to stop looking."

"He didn't hypnotize you, did he?"

"No."

"Let me guess: stuck on campus?"

"'Until Further Notice.'"

"Polish the jet?"

"Probably."

"Extra Logan-sessions?"

"Vouldn't surprise me."

"No powers?"

"_Ja_, and – HEY!" Kurt yelled as Tabitha suddenly shoved him from his perch, launching him toward the not-too-close ground.

One second and a flash of brimstone later, Tabitha found herself faced by a scowling Kurt. "If zhat vas vone of your jokes, Tabitha ...!"

"Uh-ohhh; did you just use your powers outside the grounds?" Tabitha exclaimed, her face a picture of mock-disbelief.

"_Ja_, to save my bones from your ...!"

"So, let me get this straight." Tabitha struck a thoughtful pose, chin in hand, connecting elbow in her other hand. "You'll break the rules to save yourself a few broken bones, but not to save your girl?"

"Tabitha, you ...!!!" Kurt sputtered for several seconds, then snapped a few choice phrases in German.

"What'd you just say?" Tabitha asked.

"Vone: don't do therapy; you'll bring zhe crime rate through zhe roof!"

"Oh, dash my latest dreams ..."

"Two!" Kurt took another step towards Tabitha. "I'm going to hate you tomorrow for vhat you just talked me into."

"Which was ...?"

"For starters ...." Tabitha found herself enveloped in smoke before she felt Kurt's hands on her shirt.

As the smoke cleared, she coughed and waved the smoke away. Suddenly, she noticed a wide-eyed Sam, Bobby, and Ray in front of her,. "Tab ...?"

--------------------

Kurt checked his uniform as he appeared inside the hangar. _Check. _He then fingered a button on his inducer, activating the Kurt Wagner image he still wore out in public. _Vunderbar; I look human again_ he thought bitterly. Finally, he glanced at the hangar. Since the Professor and most of the other seniors had taken the Blackbird to Washington ... another 'conference', apparently, where they took yet more flack from the bigots in charge .... that left him the Velocity.

He took another look at the open entrance to the hangarway and wondered if this was his best move, running out without permission. His outing with Tabitha that had landed her in jail, his meet with Mystique that had turned into a trap set by the Brotherhood .... maybe he needed some backup ...

Then he remembered Amanda, her nervous stutter when she first asked him to the dance; her wide eyes as she looked upon his true form; her stern glare as she asked why he was still hiding after the mutants went public; her cheerful, trusting smile as she swore not to give up on them ....

Without another thought, Kurt turned to port inside the Velocity. They wouldn't help him, then they wouldn't stop him either.

"Where do ya think yer goin'?"

Kurt winced. Why did plans never work for X men? "Hey, Rogue, Kitty!" he exclaimed, putting on as cheerful an expression as he could manage as he turned toward the new arrivals. "How's it going?"

Neither girl looked amused. "What are you doing in the hangar, Kurt?" Kitty asked.

"Uuhhhh ..." Kurt's mind raced; lying was never his biggest talent. "I ... think I dropped vone of my books here. Have you seen it?"

Rogue blinked. "Yer lookin' for your book ...." She looked him up and down. ".... in yer uniform?"

Kurt blinked and glanced at his uniform. "Oh! How about zhat?" he mumbled. "Better be changing, zhen. Bye!" he called as he disappeared.

Reappearing inside the Velocity, Kurt let loose the German curses he had been holding in. If he could just stay hidden until Rogue and Kitty lost interest – however long _that_ may be – perhaps he could still sneak out and get some answers before the Professor got on his trail. Or maybe he should just make a break for it now ...

"Y'lose somethin', Crawler?"

Kurt nearly ported outside that very minute. "_Gambit_?! Vhat do you zhink you're doing here?!!!"

Remy shrugged. "Same as you, it seems." Strumming a deck through his fingers, he added. "My hosts have neglected to show me around, so I must pick up de slack."

Kurt shook his head. "You better get out of here, Gambit, before ...."

"Before what?"

Kurt groaned. So much for sneaking out. "Don't stop me, Rogue," he stated turning to face the two girls while an amused Remy looked on.

Rogue glared back. "Stop you from doing what?"

"You know vhat." Turning away from Rogue, he added, "I thought you knew why, too."

"I know you ain't taking the Velocity," Rogue called.

"Really? Vhy not?" Ignoring the girls, Kurt turned toward the cockpit.

"Cause yer locked out." Kurt stopped and turned to see Rogue crossing her arms. "The Professor had Mr. McCoy block your security codes."

Kurt stared aghast at his sister. Remy raised an eyebrow. _Security codes? _He cracked a slight smile as he slipped away from the now quarrelling siblings.

"Give me _your_ codes, zhen!"

"No."

Rogue suddenly found her arms gripped in Kurt's furry hands. "Kurt, let go!" Kitty cried, grabbing Rogue's arms and phasing them through Kurt's.

Rogue pushed Kitty away and scowled at Kurt. "Do Ah have to put ya to sleep?!"

"Do I have to fight past my own family to find my best friend?!" Kurt threw up his hands. "Does nobody care?"

"Kurt, we _do _care," Kitty interrupted. "But you remember what happened last time you ran off on your own?"

"Vhat choice do I have?!" Kurt backed away from Kitty and Rogue. "Nobody's helping me here!"

"That's not true!"

Using his fingers, Kurt formed circles around his eyes. "Kurt, don't get close to anyvone." Switching poses, Kurt placed his arms on imaginary armrests. "Kurt, don't look for your own past. Kurt, don't bozher trying to save _your own mozher_!"

"There was nothin' _to_ do, Kurt," Rogue spat.

"Zhat's all I keep hearing! 'Kurt, don't decide for yourself!' ''Kurt, ve don't see an answer, so vhe're giving up!'" He glared furiously at Rogue. "Is zhat vhat X men do?!" Suddenly, he snapped his fingers as though remembering something. "Or wait: you'd rather push Amanda off a cliff, now?!"

Rogue's eyes flared, a sight that hurt Kurt almost as much as the gloved fist that smashed into his jaw.

"Rogue!" Kitty grabbed at Rogue's arm as her roommate, who was reaching out as through ready to push Kurt instead. Kurt was pulling himself to a back stance, ready to defend himself against his sister ....

And the aircraft shuddered.

The trio paused in their struggle. "Uhh, who started the plane?" Kitty asked.

--------------------

"Gambit, whaddya think yer doin'?!" Rogue ordered as they arrived in the cockpit to find Remy lounging in the pilot's chair. The instrument panel in front of him had lit up.

The thief shrugged nonchalantly. "J'st seeing if dis crate actually runs."

"Like, didn't the Professor lock _you_ out, too?" Kitty demanded.

"Locked out?" Remy scoffed. "Hah!"

Rogue shook her head. "Forget it; just turn it off, already!"

"No, Gambit," Kurt interrupted. "Leave it on," he called as he turned towards Kitty.

"Kurt, don't even ....!"

"... think about it!" Kitty finished as she and Rogue appeared outside. Seconds later, the tennis court opening began to retract, at which point the small helicopter began rising from the deck. "Ohh, boy. He just_ had_ to play pirate again ...."

"Come on!" Rogue shouted, grabbing Kitty's hand as she ran toward the helicopter.

"And she just _has _to make us stowaways," Kitty grumbled as she reluctantly ran after Rogue.

--------------------

Bobby looked up as the tremor ran through the mansion. "Somebody joyriding without us?"

"What for?" Jubilee grumbled, her eyes not leaving the screen as she wrestled with the controller in her hand. "Ha! You're down, Bobby!"

"Aw, man," Bobby groaned as his character collapsed.

"I warned you, Bobby," Amara put in, accepting a high-five from Jubilee.

"Ah think Bobby let her win," Sam added.

As the group began to argue, Laura, standing next to the couch behind them, blinked incredulously, then glanced at Evan who was seated on the couch. "Win? They barely moved."

Evan shrugged. "It's a game; what can you do?"

"Game?"

"Yeah; why, you want a go?"

"Why?"

"Uhhh ... for kicks?"

"Kicks?"

"You know ... or not ... for fun?"

"Fun?"

Evan rubbed his head; where was a dictionary when you needed one? "Call it training time that doesn't nearly wipe you out."

"Training?" Laura looked at the console. "I thought that was what the Danger Room was for."

Everyone in the room flinched, remembering that morning's session. Evan glanced around, then looked back at Laura. "Uhh, shut down, remember?"

"To press buttons and stare at a box?"

"Laura ...!!" Evan suddenly realized that the kids around the console had ceased their argument and turned towards them. "Any volunteers!" he called out acidly. Five wide-eyed faces stared back. "Didn't think so; come on, Laura."

As the bulky, armored mutant shuffled out of the room, followed by the glaring Laura, Amara turned back towards the group. "Is it just me, or do they make a cute couple?" They all looked horrified.

**[**

**Velocity**

"Can you switch us to stealth mode?" Kurt asked.

Remy looked at Kurt, then at the instrument panel. "Which button?"

"_Zhat_ vone!" Kurt pointed. Remy just looked at Kurt expectantly. Kurt sighed. "Never mind." Slipping into the copilot seat, he began flicking switches with practiced ease.

Remy examined Kurt. "So, Crawler: you mind tellin' me what I just landed in de middle of?"

"None of your business." Kurt's eyes didn't leave the panel.

"Uh-huh." Remy leaned back in his chair as he continued to manipulate the controls. "Den, seeing as how I seem to be at de wheel here, why don' you tell me where did crate is goin'?"

"Where it's goin' is back home before Ah put ya _both_ in a coma," Rogue spat out as she and Kitty phased through the cockpit.

Kurt shook his head. "No can do, Rogue." He glanced back at the two breatheless girls. "But none of you have to get caught up in this." Standing up, he continued. "I can drop you all off, and you can tell zhe Professor you tried to stop me."

"Ah got a better idea." Rogue's gloves were off now. "How about you _boys_ take a long nap and let the _ladies _fly _everyone _back before _anyone _finds out?"

Kurt just shook his head.

"Last warnin', both o' ya." Rogue's bare palms were now inches from Remy and Kurt's faces.

Remy just turned and grinned at Rogue. "You really wanna see what's on dis Cajun's mind, _chere_?"

"Gawd!" Rogue's were now on her own reddening face.

"Forget it, Rogue," Kitty stated. "I got it." Without warning, she reached out through Kurt's chair, wrapped her arms around his midsection, and pulled him through the chair into the floor. Within seconds, Remy endured the same treatment.

"Don' even think about it, Kurt," Rogue ordered as the furry mutant tried to pull himself to his feet. "We're goin' back right now," she concluded as Kitty slipped into the pilot's seat.

Kurt nodded slowly. "Fine." The cockpit suddenly filled with sulfur.

"Kurt!" Rogue yelled as the smoke dissipated.

--------------------

"Kurt, wait!" Kurt turned around and spotted Rogue and Kitty running after him, the Velocity parked just down the street.

"Don't." He held up a hand. "I'm not coming back."

"Kurt, listen ..."

"No, _you _listen!" Kurt took several steps toward Rogue. "Amanda's a part of me, as much as any of you." He glared at both girls. "Would any of _you_ wait for permission if it vas Scott, or Logan, or _me_ zhat vent missing?"

"You just about _did_ go missin', Kurt," Rogue retorted, crossing her arms and glaring at Kurt. "You expect _us_ to wait?"

"I'm not _missing_, Rogue!" Kurt snapped. "I _know _vhat I'm doing!"

"So, like, what _are _you doing, Kurt!" Kitty asked.

"I've already told you; I'm trying to find out vhy Amanda just dropped off zhe face of zhe Earth vhen she told me only a veek before, zhat she was coming back home!"

"How d'ya know she's in danger, Kurt?" Rogue asked, her glare not softening.

Kurt sighed. "I don't, okay? I don`t know anyzhing! And I`m not valking avay until I do!"

Silence fell over the group.

"So, like, what's the plan, Kurt?"

Rogue's glare turned to her roommate. "_KITTY??!!!_"

"Kurt's right, Rogue," Kitty replied, crossing her arms and returning Rogue's glare. "One of my best friends would be dead now if I didn't run off after her, acting all crazy."

"Uhh, in my defense, I'm not hearing her voice ..."

"Kurt, _shut up_." Kitty turned back to Rogue. "I say we help him for now, then explain _everything_ to the Professor when we get back."

"Am Ah the only one who remembers _we don't have permission?_"

Kitty put her hands on her hips. "This from the girl who talked me into skipping sixth period to chase Gambit and the Brotherhood?"

"Why, I'm flattered," came the distinctive drawl they all knew too well. "But I made y'both dat time," he finished as he approached the group.

"_You _stay outta this," Rogue ordered. "Wait – _made us_?"

"Vell, I'm going," Kurt interrupted as he slipped past the girls. "Anyone coming?"

"I'm in, Kurt," Kitty offered as she stepped forward. "I miss Amanda, anyway."

Kurt looked at Remy. "Gambit?"

The thief shrugged. "_Pourquoi pas_."

"In English? Never mind; Rogue?"

The Southerner looked at her brother of three years and clapped both hands to her forehead. "Fahne. But y'all better be ready when the Professah finds out."

"Who says he's going to find out?" Kitty said.

**[**

**Xavier Institute**

"_This_?" Laura stared at the flight simulator. "This ... _box _actually flies?"

Evan rolled his eyes. "No. It's a _simulator_."

"Another game?" Laura could not look less interested.

Evan rubbed his head. _Where's Auntie O' and Teach when we need them?! _"Look," he snapped. "Since you can't stand X Box, and both planes ... are .... gone ...." he trailed off as he found himself staring at an empty hangar.

"What?" Upon seeing Evan's confused expression, Laura looked at him with what might have been interest.

Evan shook his head. "Uhh ... Did Logan say anything about taking the Velocity to Washington?"

Laura frowned. "No; they took the X Jet ..." Laura's voice faded as several scents caught her attention.

"What?" Evan asked as she began to pace the hangar, sniffing the air.

Laura ignored him as she tried to sort out the various scents around Velocity's old parking place. _Makeup, that poisonous perfume, a lot of nictoine, bourbon, and cayenne;_ _ .... what is __THAT?!_Her face curled as the faint stench of sulfur and brimstone reached her.

"Spyke to X23?" Evan tried. Laura paused long enough to scowl at Evan, then crouched down toward the floor. "What is it?"

Laura looked back at Evan, then held up several short strands of blue fur.

--------------------

"Say again, Porcupine?" Logan's voice growled through the speaker.

"Like I said," Evan snarled back. "The Velocity's gone, and Laura said .... who again?"

"The blue-furred teleporter, the skinny brunette, the white-faced off-limits girl, and ..."

"Gambit?"

"Yes."

Low, incomprehensible growls filled the channel, followed by a bellowing, "CHUCK!"

[

**Sefton Home**

"_This _is yer plan?" Rogue stared at Kurt, then at the all-too familiar house sitting below them.

"Like, have you heard the word, 'jailbait?"

"Watch y'language, petite ..."

"Yer one to talk, Gambit ..."

"Now, now." Remy waved a finger. "Jailbaits be de fools dat get caught." Both girls groaned.

"Ahem." Everyone winced as Kurt's voice rang out over the speaker. "Zhis is your captain speaking; do I have your attention?"

"Yeah, 'Captain'," Kitty spat. "You were saying ....?"

Kurt faltered, then put down the microphone. "Vell .... I'm still vorking on zhat ...."

"So what: yer gonna knock on their door again, and hope their moods' improved?" Rogue asked skeptically.

"Not exactly." Kurt glanced at everyone. "I vas ... kind of hoping ... vone of you would."

"Kurt, what makes you think they know anything?" Kitty asked.

Kurt began pacing the deck, his tail switching at full speed. "I just _know _it. Zhe vay zhey vere acting, zhe looks on zheir faces ...." he paused, staring at something before him. "It's zhe same look zhe Professor alvays got whenever I asked about my life." He shrugged. "I know, it's not much ..."

"Okay." Surprised, Kurt turned to face Kitty and Rogue, both of whom were looking at him expectantly while Remy leaned back in his seat, a pack of cards in hand and an amused smirk on his face. "But that doesn't help us here," Kitty continued. "The whole town knows we're from the Xavier Institute; why would they tell _us_?"

"Nobody's that charmin'," Rogue deadpanned. A scoff from Remy drew her scowl. "What?"

Remy began slowly shaking his head. "How little y'all know."

--------------------

"FBI?" Margali Sefton looked at the badge, then back at the tall man in the doorway. "I don't understand ..."

"Honey? Who is it?" came her husband's voice as he came down the stairs.

The casually dressed, blue-eyed stranger offered a hand to Mr. Sefton. "Jacques Cartier, Federal Bureau of Investigations."

"FBI?" Mr. James Sefton's eyes narrowed. "Is something wrong?"

Cartier shook his head with a slight smile. "Hopefully not; I'm just checking up on a report we got about your daughter ..."

"Amanda?" James' hand pulled away from Cartier's and retreated to his pockets. "What happened?"

"That be my reason for visiting." Folding his hands behind his back, Cartier continued. "We got an anonymous call from someone on campus yesterday." Cartier glanced at the Seftons as their muscles tensed and their faces closed up. "Word was that she cleared out some time ago, without a word to anyone."

Both Seftons looked at the ground for several seconds. Finally, James spoke up. "They send agents to chase every .... rumour now?"

Cartier shrugged. "You know how it is these days; better safe then sorry, with the ticking clocks on these kinda cases and all ..."

"Ticking clock ...?" Margali, as casually as she could manage, placed her hand on a nearby coffee table. "Is our daughter missing ....?"

"Oh, no, no, no," Cartier assured, holding his hands up. "If we were that far, it'd be more than just me on the job; hell, we could have a dozen agents combing the school till we find her trail ...."

"You can't!" James blurted out, his eyes wide behind his glasses. Immediately, he put an arm around his wife and continued. "I mean ... it's a little early for that, isn't it?"

"Of course!" Cartier nodded. "Just covering the bases for now; I don't suppose she's here, is she?" he added, grinning slyly.

For some reason, Margali was unable to resist smiling herself. "No, I'm afraid not."

"Well, can't win 'em all." Cartier pulled a notebook from one of his many jacket pockets. "But, since you seem to know where she is ..."

"Well ...." The nervous expressions returned.

"You got a phone number, mailing address, any way to reach her?" Cartier continued, pulling out a notepad. "I promise you: one conversation with her, and I'll be gone."

"We're not supposed to ...." Margali exclaimed before catching herself.

"Not supposed to what?" By now, all the humour had fled Cartier's face as well. "There something you want to tell me?" Margali just shook her head, drawing a furrowed brow from Cartier. "There something you _don't _want to tell me?"

"I think you should leave, Agent," James said roughly, stepping between his wife and the investigator.

"Mr Sefton, please," Cartier put a hand on James' shoulder; surprisingly, James felt not the slightest desire to push him away. "I'm here to help, and I'm getting the feeling that you need some, but ..."

"You can't help us," Margali stammered.

"We don't know anything, anyway," James added grimly.

Crossing his arms, Cartier stepped back and stared at the couple. "Maybe you could tell me why you don't want anyone looking for your daughter."

--------------------

"Vell?" Remy frowned at the blue-furred mutant hop impatiently before him. "Did zhey say anyzhing?"

Remy just nodded and brought a lit cigarrette to his mouth. "Dey told me she never came back from de Academy." He shook his head as he began pulling the blue contacts from his eyes. "J'st dropped outta sight wit'out a word."

"Zhat's it?!" Kurt demanded, grabbing the collars on Remy's jacket. "Zhat's all zhey told you?!"

Without blinking, Remy lifted a small photograph before Kurt's face. "Dey got _dat_ a few days later."

Kurt snatched the photograph, only to freeze as he noticed the image on it.

A scantily-clad Amanda, chained the ground, stared back at him. Underneath the image blazed the words DON'T LOOK FOR HER

**[**

"_I take it you didn't obey."_

_Kurt's head snapped up. "Are you **serious**, Fazher?!"_

"_It seems to me that, if you wanted to keep her safe, the smartest choice would have been to ..."_

"_Back off? Go home?! Leave her vith zhose .... **people**?!!"_

"_Kurt, there are times in our life when taking matters into our own hands creates more problems than solutions. Sometimes, its betterto simply put our trust in God than in our own choices."_

_Kurt shook his head. "I'm sorry, Fazher; I don't believe zhat."_

"_You don't believe in ...?"_

"_I mean I don't believe in sitting and vaiting; zhere are times ve have to do His vork ourselves."_

"_Yes." The priest did not sound convinced. "How did that turn out for you?"_

**[**

**Blackbird – Near Washington**

"Do I have to say it, Chuck?" Logan growled.

Xavier rubbed his temples. "No Logan, I can hear it already," he sighed.

"So? Are we going after him?" Scott asked, fingering his glasses.

"Wait a minute," Jean put in. "How do we know it's _Gambit_ who took them?"

"Let's see," Scott snapped. "He's done it before, he just worked for Magneto, and, of course, we just welcomed him _into our house_."

"None of that proves a thing," Ororo put in coolly.

"What more do you want, Red; did you expect him to leave a note?" Logan demanded.

"Enough!" Xavier cut in. After a measured glare at his fellow instructors, he continued. "Whoever is responsible for this can wait. For now, our primary focus must be finding out where they are."

**[**

**Velocity **

"Boston?!" Kitty was beginning to feel as though they were dug a hole deep enough to emerge at the opposite end of the globe. "We're flying to _Boston_?!"

Kurt just nodded as he checked the instruments. "It's vhere Amanda vent to school."

"A Harvard gal?" Rogue asked.

"_Nein_; some place called zhe Massachusets Academy, just outside zhe city."

"Didn't ya say she moved out?"

"Ja, but she never came near Bayville; someone here must know where she vent."

"So dat's de play, hmm?" Kurt started upon hearing Remy's voice; the thief had barely said a word since they had taken off.

"Ja, vhy?" Kurt shifted in his seat to glare at Remy. "You know somezhing you're not telling us?"

"_That'd _be a change," Rogue mumbled. To surprise, instead of a joke or grin, she got a very cool stare from the Cajun.

Kitty shook her head and looked directly at Gambit. "Seriously, Gambit: do you know something about what we're getting into here?"

Remy shook his head. "About our photographers, or de seaside city, I know next to nothing, 'cept dat m'Guildmaster always told me to stay away from dat area."

"Why?"

"Never told me." Pulling a deck of cards from his pocket, Remy began to shuffle in earnest. "But I can tell dis much: whoever we dealin' wit here, dey either managed one helluva bluff, wit' yo' _femme's_ help ...."

"She vouldn't do zhat!" Kurt shook his head sharply and focused his attention on the viewport.

Remy snorted. "Can never tell wit' de ladies. But, if dey ain't bluffin', den dey holdin' all de cards, and we all about to join de table." Leaning towards the pilot seat, he fixed his glowing red eyes on Kurt. "You sure you wanna play their game, _homme_?"

Without looking at the thief, Kurt reached for a dial in front of him.

"Kurt ...?" Rogue began to ask.

"I heard him," Kurt answered brusquely. "And, if someone's playing games ...." He shook his head. "Zhen zhey already have me." He twisted the dial.

The Velocity lurched forward.

**[**

**X Jet**

"Anything?"

Jean looked up from the display as Xavier wheeled into the cockpit. "Yeah; they're still on the move." Looking back at the display, she added. "In a hurry." She looked back at Xavier. "Professor, why didn't you tell us about the beacons on the aircraft?"

"That doesn't matter now; can we reach them?"

Scott nodded. "Eventually; they do have one heck of a head start on us," he added glumly.

"Then we'd best not waste a moment."

**[**

**Massachusetts Academy – 2 Hours Later**

"Ya sure this is the place?" Rogue frowned.

"Uhhh, yeah," Kurt mumbled, staring at the sight before them. "I zhink ..."

What stood before them looked as though it had belonged in the eighteenth century. Around a large, Victorian-style mansion lay an array of wood cabins, small lakes, and fields filled with busy young adults. At one end lay what could have been a small Colisuem; elsewhere lay a white building that appeared to be from the Wild West.

"Uhh, is this place, like, a school or a museum?" Kitty asked.

"Amanda dis say zhe place vas old-fashioned," Kurt murmured.

"You look lost!" An young woman with longand a lean figure. "You with the summer group?"

"Um, no," Kurt quickly replied. "Ve're visiting a friend of ours; Miss ..."

"Jennifer, please." The woman smiled easily. "I only assist here; only the professors use their last name. So who are you looking for."

"Amanda Sefton; is she here?"

"Amanda?" The woman's easy smile faded. "She didn't say anything about visitors."

"Vell ... ve vere going to surprise her," Kurt managed. Remy shook his head, hiding a smirk.

"Well ... I'm not supposed to let anyone in without permission; maybe we could call her ..."

"Oh, come now, _mams'elle_," Remy stepped in, taking Jennifer's hand. "You wouldn't be meanin' to spoil our good friend's day by draggin' her out to de gate, now, would you?" His eyes glowing behind the sunglasses he'd donned, Remy brought her hand to his face and kissed it lightly.

Jennifer blushed and looked away. "Well ...."

"What did you just _do_?" Rogue demanded once the group had let themselves inside, leaving the suddenly lovestruck girl at her post.

"I got us inside, _cherie_; you was expectin' more?"

"Leave it, Rogue," Kurt cut in.

After one more glare at Remy for good measure, Rogue returned her attention to Kurt. "Okay, so what now?"

"Ve split up," Kurt responded immediately. "Amanda vasn't invisible; somebody had to have seen her."

**[**

**X Jet**

"How do ya wanna handle this, Chuck?"

Xavier looked over at his scowling instructor. "Logan?"

Logan's claws were already out. "If Gumbo's got 'em? I don't think we covered kidnappin' in our house rules, so we might have to improvise ...."

"That can wait until we know something more," Xavier said firmly.

"Just askin' in case; you mind if I start by ...?"

"Professor?" Jean called from the cockpit. "I think they've stopped."

**[**

**Massachusetts Academy**

_This place is too wierd_, Rogue thought thought as she wandered outside. So far, no sign of Amanda, just a lot of sights the creeped out even her, Rogue of the X men, who taken on hypnotists, cyborgs, and immortal gods in between school terms.

From outside, the place had struck her as some twisted version of an old-style community. As she wandered about the grounds, however, she could see people sporting suits, hair dyes, cell phones, and other gifts of the so-called modern age.

_Then why all these .... living museum's?_ Rogue wondered as she stared at the scantily-clad toiling away in yet another field. Not far from the field lay a small crowd, gathered around what seemed to be two near-naked men wrestling in the mud ....

_God! _Rogue pulled her gaze away from the scene. After all she'd seen in the past few minutes, she doubted she could hate this place any more ...

"I said no!"

Rogue's head snapped toward the shout. _Never mind._

"Sorry, babe; didn't hear you," a larger boy grinned as he pushed the girl behind a building.

Rogue glanced around; no one had even glanced toward the shout. _You gotta be kidding_, she thought as she ran after the pair.

--------------------

"Hi, I'm looking for Amada Sefton," Kurt explained to the large kid in front of him. "Do you know her?"

"Nah," the kid grunted as he stuffed another chicken wing into his bulging cheeks. "She doesn't hang around my type."

"Do you know vhere she does hang out?" Kurt pressed.

The kid's large forehead wrinkled. "Why you looking for her again?"

Kurt shook his head. "Never mind," and hurried around the corner, looking for a safe place to teleport.

After staring after Kurt for several seconds, the kid picked up his cell phone and punched in a number. "Hey, Don? It's Harry."

--------------------

"Is this seat taken?"

Several cold stares went Kitty's way as the conversation around the table died. She almost shivered.

"Who the hell are you?" hissed a dark-haired, pale-skinned girl in dark leather.

"Nightshade," cut in a scantily-clad blonde surrounded by three identical-looking girls. "Manners."

"She must be new blood," stated one of the triplets.

"We haven't seen her before."

"We would have remembered."

"Unless ...."

"Girls," the blonde interrupted in her rolling accent. Immediately, the three girls stepped back and cast their stares toward the ground.

"Uhhh ...." Kitty mumbled. "New blood?"

--------------------

"Dat's right," Remy told the dark-haired woman seated before. "I received word about dis remarkable school, _mam'selle ...._?"

"Tessa." The woman's set face did not change. "And you're here because ....?"

"I simply wish to enroll," Remy replied, flashing her a smile. "Trouble is, paperwork ain't my forte, so I thought I'd come her and ask how one get's started on dat."

**[**

**X Jet**

"Where are they?" Xavier asked.

"Boston." Jean pointed to the glowing dot on the radar.

"I don't get it." Scott adjusted his heading. "What are they doing there?"

**[**

**Massachusetts Academy**

"I'm just looking for a friend of mine," Kitty insisted. "Miss ...?"

"Emma. And just who would the 'friend' be?"

"Amanda Sefton. Have you seen her?" Emma's eyes flickered towards the trio behind her. "My height, brown hair, dark skin, brown eyes ....?"

"Well, that put's her at my polar opposite, doesn't it?" Emma scoffed. "Why is it you're looking for her again?" She leaned over the table and stared at Kitty

Kitty frowned. _Great; I just __have_ _to run into the White Prom Queen in some medieval school. _"Never mind; I better keep looking," she quickly replied, backing away from the table.

Turning around, Kitty was about to allow her contempt for the group show when she noticed a short girl with red hair, loose-fitting clothing, and a tight, worried expression staring at her. Immediately, a curious expression overtook Kitty's face.

At the same moment, the girl turned and began walking away.

--------------------

Kurt had ported into nearly a dozen hallways before he found someone who would talk to him.

Or, rather, they found him.

"Oh, hey!" Kurt managed as several boys crowded behind him,.

"Didn't see you come in," deadpanned a short, stocky boy with faint sideburns and black hair combed back, who had planted himself in the middle of the hallway.

Kurt stifled a curse. Of course they hadn't; he'd teleported inside, hoping no one had seen him. "Ehh ... I'm easy to miss," he tried, offering a nervous smile. _So much for sneaking about._

--------------------

"Leave her alone!" Rogue shouted, grabbing the tall boy's wrist and elbow and spinning him toward the wall.

"Hey!" hissed a voice nearby. Looking towards the voice, Rogue started as she noticed the 'victim', now sporting long purple hair and ... was that a _tail?!_ .... standing up glaring at Rogue. "I'm not into three-ways; find your own partner."

Rogue clenched her fists, praying to wake up from this wierd dream. "Have you forgotten the last minute?! _He was trying to ...!!!_"

"She wanted it rough," the boy groaned as he pulled himself up ...

Rogue immediately turned beet red and focused on the girl. "Will you tell Prince Charming to pull his pants up?!"

"That wasn't Sharon's plan ..."

"Shut up, Manuel." The girl stared at Rogue. "You must be new here."

"Don't get excited," Rogue snapped. She glanced around, as though seeing the school for the first time. "What kinda school is this?!"

--------------------

The Academy is no mere _school, _Mr. LeBeau," Tessa told Remy. "We offer a new way of life, a new experience." She leaned back in her chair and continued to study Remy, her face still a blank slate. "A different way of viewing the world, and your own self."

"Kinda got _that _impression," Remy replied, aping Tessa's posture and expression. Two could play at this game. "What I don't know is where de door is."

Tessa did not blink. "There are many doors. All of them, however, require certain ... _committments_ before one receives the key."

"What kinda _commitments_?"

**[**

**X Jet**

"Can you narrow down the location?" Xavier's face had tightened up along with his voice.

Jean nodded as she began twisting dials. "Hmm; _that's _out of the way."

"Where are they Jean?" Xavier demanded.

"Uhhh ... Northern Boston, somewhere in Snow Valley ...."

"The Berkshire Mountains?" Ororo cut in.

Jean looked back at Xavier, who looked as though Apocalypse had paid him a visit. "Uhhh ... yeah."

"Professor?" Scott glanced at Xavier. "What's going on?"

**[**

**Massachusetts Academy**

"He looks lost," put in a large Native American boy. "You lost?"

"How'd you guess?" Kurt laughed.

"We oughtta help him out, Sab," piped up a taller blonde with mechanical arms. "How about it?"

"Well, he is lost."

"In our dorm?"

"Happens all the time, don't you remember?"

"Right, right," 'Sab' nodded, his eyes still on Kurt.

--------------------

"Wait!" Kitty called as she caught up to the shorter redhead. "What's your name?"

"Marie-Ange Colbert," the girl mumbled, her eyes still on the ground. "They call me Tarot."

Kitty took another breathe. "I saw you running earlier."

"You were chasing me."

"Yeah." Kitty took another breath; she was _so _out of shape. "I'm Kitty; I ran after you because ... well ... because you were running." Tarot continued her scrutiny of the ground. "You ran when I mentioned Amanda's name; do you know her?"

Tarot finally met Kitty's eyes, her own full of tears. "It's you, isn't it?"

--------------------

Tessa shrugged. "Depends on the individual; every student has their own challenge to face before enrollment." She gave Remy a hard look. "What exactly _were _you told about us?"

Remy shrugged. "J'st dat it was like no ot'er school." He paused, wondering how much he should pretend to know about the school. "Said you could do t'ings here dat couldn't be dreamt of in de Ivy League."

Tessa pursed her lips. "It's true that our Academy has a more .... liberal view on human interaction than most others. Nonetheless," she added, holding up a hand, "this is hardly a background for anarchy; we have our own rules, with the ... harshest penalties for infractions."

"Rules?" Remy frowned. "I seen de .... activities outside; what 'rules are dere?'"

--------------------

"You're not one of us; then why are you here?" asked Manuel.

"Make it quick," Sharon grumbled, rubbing at her long fingernails.

Rogue didn't hesitate. "I'm lookin' for Amanda Sefton."

"Sefton." Sharon hissed. "Not that I blame you, but that's only for exhibitions ...."

"Sharon!" Manuel snapped. Turning his gaze back towards Rogue, he continued. "What do you want with her?"

Rogue felt a strange urge to confide in this good-looking boy. "Her boyfriend's lookin' for her; we're gettin' her out of here."

"Sab Shaw? He's actually leaving?" Manuel's face suddenly matched Rogue's confusion.

--------------------

"Let's make this easy," Sab smiled and indicated the door at the end of the hallway behind him. "The exit is that way."

"No kidding? Thanks, guys! Have a nice life!" Kurt exclaimed as began heading towards it, only to realize the boys hadn't budged. "If you could just let me ..."

--------------------

"Scott, put everything you can spare into the engines," Xavier ordered. "Everyone else, I suggest you get into your uniforms."

"Professor ...?"

"NOW, Scott!" Xavier snapped. "We need to be there hours ago, understand?"

"It's them again, ain't it?" Logan grunted.

"I think so."

"Who?!" Scott demanded.

--------------------

"You ask a lot of questions, _Monsiour _LeBeau." Tessa crossed her arms. "May I ask another one?"

"By all means, _mam'selle_," Remy bowed his head. "Who knows; I might even answer," he grinned.

Tessa did not smile. "Who exactly referred you to us?"

Remy smiled, and leaned toward Tessa. "Just between you and me, her name's Amanda Sefton."

The stone expression stayed. "I see."

--------------------

"Shaw?" The little color in Rogue's face quickly drained as she thought of Kurt.

"Yeah, this year's Black King ... ohhh ..." Manuel looked at Rogue. "You have no idea who I'm talking about, do you?"

"Who are you again?" Sharon hissed.

--------------------

"Uuhhhh .... who's me?"

Tarot now clutched a deck of cards. "I see things; A catlike ghost ... or maybe a ghostlike cat .... "

"Huh." _Beats half-pint._

"But she didn't come alone; the disappearing demon, the devil that destroys, the leech ...." Tarot's breathe quickened. ".... they all came looking for her .....!"

Kitty blinked. _She's not far off ... _ If she had the energy to spare, Kitty knew she would be getting worried. "Are you talking about Amanda?"

--------------------

"I'm asking, Mr. Lebeau," Tessa stated as she reached under the desk, "because the Academy does not take referrals; in fact, students are strictly forbidden to recommend our school to anyone."

"Really?" Remy frowned; something was tugging at the edge of his awareness; not from Tessa, but nearby ... "How much trouble is she in?"

Tessa folded her hands on top of the desk. "You misunderstand; our students do not even hear of us."

It was getting awfully noisy behind him.

"Not until we choose them."

Remy smiled. "Ahh. Dat why you invited de entourage behind me?"

--------------------

"Is zhere a problem?" Kurt demanded.

Sab glanced at the other boys, then shrugged. "Tell you what; I'm in a good mood today, so why don't you just show us your student card and we'll send you on your way."

"My ... Ohhhhh," Kurt managed. Immediately, he began searching through his pockets while his mind searched for a solution. "Funny ... I must have left it in my dorm ..."

"Uh-huh." Sab stared at Kurt. "Then how did you get in?"

--------------------

"Never mind; I gotta go," Rogue stammered, backing away.

"Wait a minute ..." Manuel reached out and grabbed her wrist.

--------------------

"Marie." The smaller girl was pacing about the building now, her white-knuckled hands squeezing the deck. "Tarot. Do you know where she is?"

"She didn't fit in here; she was too nice to everybody." Tarot took a shaking breath. "She was the only person who told me I wasn`t crazy, that I wasn't a freak ...!"

"Crazy?"

Tarot bit her lip. "Sometimes I see things on my card; things about to happen." She shook her head fiercely. "I don't know what most of it means ...!"

"What about Amanda?" Kitty interrupted. "Do you know where she is now?"

The head continued to shake. "No ..... no, not again ...."

--------------------

"Uhhh, funny story ..."

"Never mind; I'll show myself .... hey!" Without warning, Sab's hands were on him. "Vhat are you ...?"

"Our job," Don stated, pulling a small pad out of his pocket. "Campus Security."

--------------------

"Let go!" Rogue snapped.

"Just following the rules," Sharon snapped. "All outsiders gotta see the Mistress!"

"Don't worry; she'll take good care of you," Manuel smiled. For some reason, Rogue couldn't bring herself to doubt him.

--------------------

"You have to get out of here," Tarot gasped.

Kitty blinked her suddenly heavy eyelids. " But ..."

"You're not going to find her! You're ...!" Tarot trailed off as she stared past Kitty. "No ....!"

--------------------

"Hmmm." Remy glanced at the men behind him, then at Tessa. "Dey here to escort me out?"

Tessa shook her head. "I suggest you avoid fighting; your chances of avoiding injury will be much higher."

"In a fair game." Remy stood up, one hand still on the chair. "Let me even de score."

--------------------

Manuel jumped as the sound of the explosion reached them. "What ..."

Immediately, the pleasant feelings fled Rogue, replaced by her disgust with the place, her fear for Kurt, and, more than anything, how mad she now was.

Manuel barely had a chance to cry out before the gloved fist slammed into his jaw.

As Manuel fell, Rogue heard a now-familiar snarl behind her, and instinctively spun, arcing her heel towards the sound in a hook kick.

Unfortunately, the kick missed high, as Sharon was now crouched on the ground, her mouth set in a snarl baring long, filed teeth.

"Don't even think ...."

Sharon pounced.

--------------------

"You hear that?"

Sab's grip lessened slightly as he turned toward the sound. "Someone's gonna .... aagghhh!" he suddenly cried as Kurt's heel slammed into his chin.

"Goodbye," Kurt called as he flipped back, and ported in midair.

--------------------

Remy dived to one side as the chair exploded, only to find himself amidst another crowd. _Never a short game_ he thought as he whipped out his staff.

--------------------

"Wait ...." Kitty moaned as Tarot turned away and began to run. She was so _tired_.

"Hush," whispered a cold voice behind her. As Kitty dropped to her knees, the woman continued. "Sleep ...."

**[**

"_This was a school?" For the first time in all of Kurt's many visits, the priest sounded shocked._

"_Not exactly ..."_

**[**

**X Jet**

"_Another_ school?" Scott risked a look at his professor.

Xavier nodded, his expression dark. "Yes. Before I even found either of you, I was in contact with others who ..." he looked at his lap, ".... I _believed _had a similar mission."

"You mean helping mutants?"

"That's what I thought; together, we decided that there should be a second school; another haven for mutants, just in case .... the worst occurred."

"I was your age, then," Ororo put in. "Several of my classmates transferred to the new school."

"So why haven't we heard from them?" Scott frowned. "I don't remember them appearing on the news; or helping us out in any way."

Xavier sighed. "We had a falling out."

"Y'ask me, it was more like a blow-out," Logan grunted as he joined them in the cockpit, rubbing his extended blades together. "They locked their doors, burned their welcome mats, and, for good measure, gave me a little ... reminder."

Jean was sure she could not turn any paler. "Why?"

Xavier rubbed his forehead. "I don't know; they told me they had found a new student living on her own; someone named Selene, I believe." He shook his head sharply. "Within the week, they cut off all contact. We tried paying a visit, much as Kurt seems to be doing now."

"Professor?" By now, even the skies looked grim to Jean. "What did they do?"

"Long and short, Red," Logan snarled, clenching his fists. "They don't like visitors, and they don't pull their punches when they deal with 'em."

Behind his visor, Scott's eyes widened. "Kurt ...."

**[**

**Massachusetts Academy**

"Rogue!"

Rogue gasped as she turned toward the voice. Since the tussle with Sharon, which had ended with the girl unconscious and herself sporting a tail, sharpened nails, and a strange desire to find a ball of string, she had been running, trying to stay out of sight. One mob this month was more than enough for her.

"_Vast ....!_" A pair of yellow eyes widened before a blue furry hand reached out and pulled her behind the nearby building.

"Kurt!" Almost forgetting her deadly skin, Rogue grabbed her sibling in a fierce embrace. "Are you okay? What happened?!"

"Me? Vhat about you?" Kurt looked his sister over.

"Cat trouble." Kurt continued to stare. "Couple o' kids tried to drag me into _their _detention." Rogue shuddered.

"Must run in zhe family." Kurt rubbed his shoulders. "By now, zhe whole school's probably looking for us."

"Well, can you get us outta here?"

"_Ja_, I zhink so." Kurt peeked around the corner of the building. "Vhat about Kitty and Gambit?"

"Gawd." Rogue suddenly turned cold at the thought of her roommate and, well, Gambit in the middle of the loony bin she had just explored. "We gotta find 'em."

Kurt nodded. "Ve just better stay out of sight; vith Sab and his posse on zhe prowl ...."

"Sab?!" Rogue looked back at Kurt. "Sab Shaw?"

"He didn't give me a last name .... vhy?" Kurt asked, noticing Rogue tighten her lips.

"Nevah mind," Rogue quickly replied, turning away from Kurt. "Any idea where .... ack!" Kurt had ported directly in front of her. "Kurt, Ah thought Ah ...!"

"Who's Sab Shaw?" Kurt crossed his arms.

"Ah don't know; Ah never met the guy!" Rogue insisted.

"You know his first and last name; vhere did you hear it?"

"Kurt, now ain't the tahme ....!"

"For vhat? Zhe truth?" Kurt took another step toward Rogue. "Vhat are you hiding from me now?"

"Kurt." Rogue shook her head, her eyes already brimming with tears. "Don't ..."

Kurt grabbed Rogue's arms. "_WHO'S SHAW?!!_"

"_AMANDA'S BOYFRIEND!!!!_" Rogue yelled back.

The furry arms dropped like stones.

"Kurt, Ah'm sorry ...." Rogue tried as he slowly turned away. "Kurt?"

Kurt could barely hear her. There was only one voice he was hearing now.

"_Did you know blue is my favourite colour?"_

Kurt stumbled away from Rogue; even porting seemed too much for him. His memories of Amanda, , the hopes she'd brought him, everything that been crashed by Rogue's two words.

"_I want them to meet the real you anyway!"_

Kurt forced himself to take a breath. The real him?! Had he ever come close to knowing the real her all these years?! Or had it been all lies?

"_They don't know you like I do!"_

Kurt shook his head. _I didn't know you either, Amanda._

Then he looked across the yard. _Or maybe I did ... then ..._

Rogue followed his gaze. "Kurt, don't ...."

Kurt disappeared.

--------------------

Sebastian Shaw looked over his shoulder as the scent reached him. "You people are hard to find," he smirked.

**[**

**X Jet**

"Charles, that might be difficult," Hank replied warily.

"Why? You've informed everyone, have you not?"

"Oh, yes," Hank looked over his shoulder at the assembled students. "And believe me; they're ready and raring to go, but ..."

"We don't have time to debate this, Hank; just see that they're ready within the hour!!"

"And get them there how?" Hank demanded. "In case it slipped your notice, we're short all of our aircraft, and to get there in the time you're talking about ...!!!"

"Taken care of, Furball," Logan growled, snapping his own cell phone shut as he joined Xavier at the comm. "I called in a favour."

**[**

**Massachusetts Academy**

"So you _are _one of the X men." Shaw made a point of looking Kurt up and down, the smirk still on his face. "Why am I not impressed?"

"I'm not here to impress you." Kurt's face held tight glare he rarely wore. "I vant to know vhat you did to Amanda."

Shaw's face seemed to light up. "Oh; that's all?" He glanced around at the students that had begun closing in on Kurt. "And I'm supposed to know because ....?"

Kurt continued to glare at Shaw, then reached into his pocket and tossed the photograph towards Shaw.

Shaw glanced at the photograph. "Ohhh, I get it now." Aiming the photograph at Kurt, he continued. "You're Sefton's knight in blue, furry armor?" He laughed at the thought, drawing giggles from the students nearby. Within seconds, the laughter had spread throughout the entire crowd.

Kurt did not even crack a smile. "Just tell me vhere Amanda is, and I'll leave you all to .... vhatever it is you do around here," he grimaced.

Shaw laughed again. "Hey, pawns! I think this plush toy just gave a challenge!" The laughter spread again.

"Challenge?" Kurt shook his head. "Your title means nothing to me; just give me Amanda."

"Well maybe you haven't figured a few things out." The mirth fled Shaw's face. "This isn't your preppy, pampered hotel with handouts and free admission; up here ...." Shaw shook his head. "Every day is a fight."

"There's no giving around here; no holding back," added Emma.

"We gotta earn all rewards here," mumbled Harry, stuffing another donut into his mouth.

Kurt looked toward the crowd, then towards Shaw. "Is zhat zheir rule or yours?"

Shaw laughed, then followed Kurt's gaze. "HELLIONS! WHAT'S THE WORD?!" he suddenly roared.

The response was immediate. "NO LIMITS! NO RESTRAINTS! AND ABSOLUTELY NO MERCY!"

Shaw sneered at Kurt. "Believe me now?"

Kurt snorted humorlessly. "Didn't say I cared."

"Oh, right, I forgot: you're the X men, on call to hold the hand, clean up the mess, and wipe the nose for any human bigot crying uncles; is that it?"

"You don't know us at all."

"Oh, please," Emma scoffed. "You lot appear on the sodding news so often, there's precious little we _don't _know about you."

"Don't believe everything you hear."

"And what do you know about us?" Shaw countered, raising an eyebrow. "Hmm?"

Kurt blinked. "Frankly, I'm not interested."

Shaw threw up his arms. "And yet here you stand, high horse and all." His brow furrowed. "All right, tell you what: you and the skunk-head go out whatever way you came in, and we'll forget the whole thing. Fair enough?"

"I'm not leaving vithout _mein freundes_." Shaw looked at Kurt with what might have been astonishment. "All of zhem."

Shaw snapped his fingers, cueing the students closest to Kurt to move in and grab his arms.

Except Kurt wasn't there anymore.

Instead, he was right next to Shaw, grabbing _his _arm before porting again.

"My turn to talk," Kurt began before pushing the shocked Shaw to the roof he'd ported to. "I grew up vith zhis face; I vas dodging mobs like yours before I learned how to talk." He ported again, appearing directly next to Shaw before shoving him to the ground. "Mobs don't scare me anymore; now vhere did you put my friends?"

Shaw spat on the ground as he pulled himself to his feet. "Thanks for sharing." He looked directly at Kurt. "Here's my _quid quo pro._"

"Nobody here has what you call friends. And you know why?" Shaw glared at Kurt. "'Cause they don't exist. They're out of date; meaningless; frauds; today's worst joke." He took a step toward Kurt. "Do you realize how easy it can be for someone to ... just forget the people they call friends?!"

Kurt crossed his arms. "Gambit. Kitty. _Amanda. Vhere are zhey?!_"

"Here, we don't buy in. We don't bother with friends; they either die or move on anyway!" Shaw threw out his arms. "I figure; why get drawn in? Everyone has enough to handle with themselves; why stack up the drama with anyone else?"

"_Vhere?!"_

"Don't believe me? Here's an example." Shaw held up the photo of Amanda. "When she first came here, all she ever talked about was that blue fuzzy dude. But, it was only a week before she started leaving that cheap photo in her room." Shaw grinned and began pulling off his rumpled jacket. "And only another month till he didn't get mentioned."

Kurt's eyes glowed.

"Truth is, X Man, she was pretty tired of the baggage you came with." Shaw threw his jacket on the floor and began loosening his shirt. "I don't know whether it was the face, the fights, the parents .... hell, I didn't much care." Shaw continued to leer at Kurt. "What can I say? She needed an alternative, and I gave her one." Shaw paused to study Kurt's glowering face. "What? You want details?"

Before Shaw could blink, Kurt was at his side, driving a furry fist into his jaw.

--------------------

"Show him, Sab!" Don yelled.

Still hiding behind the nearby building, Rogue muttered a few choice words. _Remind me to kill that fuzzy once I save him from his mess. _She took another peek. _Assuming I can sneak past that crowd ..._

Her thoughts did not go unnoticed.

In the midst of the crowd, Emma Frost glanced over her shoulder as the strange psychic impression hit her. "So predictable."

--------------------

Shaw grunted as Kurt's spinning heel slammed into his jaw, spinning him full circle before he finally collapsed. "You demon," he gasped, climbing to his feet.

Without a word, Kurt dove towards Shaw. Ready this time, Shaw grabbed Kurt's arms and twisted, hurling his opponent over the edge of the building and toward the ground.

Shaw grinned and bowed slightly toward the gathered students below. Before he could straighten up, something slammed into his back, driving his bow the rest of the way to the ground. "Not yet."

--------------------

Rogue suddenly felt very heavy.

It wasn't often she gave her weight much thought; other than some not-too-flattering photos displayed the day mutants were outed, and her more recent spill in the basement of the Brotherhood home, her size rarely bothered her.

Then again, it had never driven her to the ground like a dead weight.

Rogue grunted in surprise and pain as the ground seemed to slam into her suddenly immobile body. _Who ...?!_

"There's a good boy, Leland," cooed a soft voice behind her.

_Never mind._ Rogue gritted her teeth and tried to lift her head.

"I think she's still awake," mumbled the boy still behind her. "Are you in her mind, yet?"

"Yes ... it's rather crowded .... oh, don't bother saying it, Leland; brute force it is."

Before darkness claimed her, Rogue could have sworn she saw diamonds.

--------------------

A furry foot lashed out, catching Shaw in the side of the face as he tried to struggle to his feet. By now, blood seemed to run from Shaw's blackened eyes, mouth, and nose.

Kurt found himself unable to care.

Violence was not something that came easy to him; as a born-again Catholic, he had been raised learning the concepts of sin and the danger of temptation. He had fought when he had too, but never with this almost desperate urge to hurt, to draw blood, to assault without mercy. It was one thing he'd never understood about his adopted sister; how she could hate their mother enough to try and utterly destroy her. She had wronged and betrayed him as well, yet he'd never found himself hating her as Rogue obviously had.

Now, as he straddled an unresisting Shaw and began raining blows on his still-smirking face, it occurred to him that maybe he was no stronger or better than his sister;

Mystique had simply missed. Shaw hadn't.

Grabbing Shaw's blood-soaked collar, Kurt glared at Shaw. "I'm not a demon; but I can _be _one." Pulling Shaw to his feet, Kurt continued. "Vhat's it going to be?"

Despite his lips being cracked in several places, Shaw smiled. "Whoo! I think I was wrong about you; you'd fit right in here; what do you say?"

"Wrong answer." Sulphur filled Shaw's vision.

"Ve're two miles up!" Kurt shouted as he gripped the now-falling Shaw. "I can stop our descent, if you tell me vhere you put Amanda!" He waited several seconds as Shaw continued to leer without a word. "Keep playing zhis game, it'll be your last vone!"

Shaw began to laugh. "And here I thought you were one of the _good guys_."

Kurt looked at the approaching ground then at Shaw. _The good guys ...._ His grip began to soften.

Without warning, Shaw grabbed Kurt's wrists and effortlessly threw Kurt away.

Panic suddenly filled Kurt's being. On instinct, he ported toward the ground, then frantically began scanning the skies for Shaw ...

He was already looking too high.

Shaw's body slammed face first into the ground, with only a muffled _thud_ marking the impact.

_No_. That moment, Kurt forgot his disgust with this school, his simmering anger at the Professor, his fear for his friends; all of it was overwhelmed with his horror at what he'd done. _Mystique, I've made you proud_.

Running towards the prone, unmoving Shaw, he noticed none of the other students had moved. "Vhat's wrong vith you people?!" he yelled as he knelt next to Shaw. They all stood and stared, several trying to suppress their snickers. "He needs ...!"

"Whoa ...." came an all-too familiar voice below him. Shaking his head, Shaw sat up before an astonished Kurt. "That _tingles_!"

Suddenly, Shaw's fist slammed into Kurt's gut with more force than he'd felt all his life, driving him through the air, into something hard, and into blackness.

--------------------

Several hours later, the lighting hadn't improved; Kurt could not see a thing, and the only signs that he was conscious were the faint breeze ruffling his fur and the straps of leather tied tightly around his limbs.

"Don't struggle."

Kurt jerked his head about, even though he could see nothing through the cloth. Ignoring the soft, cold voice, he began to pull at the straps.

The sudden, stinging pain as something struck his chest put a stop to that. "_Don't _make me repeat myself."

Kurt, despite the pain coursing through him, closed his eyes and focused on the power that had come naturally to him since childhood.

"And don't bother trying to 'port'," the woman continued, a slight sneer in her voice. "I know something of that accursed realm you sneak through; rest assured, I have those doors shut tight."

Kurt looked toward the voice, gasping through his pain-wracked chest. "Wh-who are you?"

He heard a slight rasp that might have been a chuckle. "Ohh, I've been called many names. To those pagans on those godforsaken island, I was a goddess. To those hypocritical emperors and the mobs at their feet, I was the devil herself." She was circling him now, her voice rising.. "To another self-righteous mob with their pitchforks and stakes, I was a witch that needed to be purged." Kurt suddenly felt a cold hand cupping his furry chin. "Now, I am known to my charges as 'Mistress.'"

_And I thought the Xavier Institute was insane._ Kurt took another wheezing breathe. "Vhere are _mein freundes_?" The lady released his chin and continued to circle. "Vhat have you done vith zhem? _Vhat have you done vith her_?!!!"

Another slap on the chest greeted him. "_What_ makes you think you have the authority to interrogate me?" He could hear her walk away from him. "This isn't your school, X-Brat; _you_ are the intruders here; _you _brought this on yourselves!"

"You ... took Amanda ..." he retorted hoarsely.

"_Took_ her?" There was no mistaking the laugh that reached Kurt's ears now. "Boy ... she came to us! She was looking for somewhere to hide; we never bothered asking why." She stepped back toward Kurt again. "If it helps any, she turned out to be one of my _best pupils._"

"You're lying ..."

"You seem so certain ....." The voice trailed off as though she had heard something in the distance. "You fell for her .... how stupid of you."

Kurt looked away. "Zhat's none of your business."

"Come now; no one has secrets here; can you say the same about Xavier?"

Kurt couldn't find a reply; after all, Xavier never _had_ gotten around to telling him about his past ....

"You know," the woman continued, "if you desperately wish to see Amanda, there may be a way in ..."

"Vhat?" Kurt asked, a little too eagerly.

"Ohh, it won't be easy; some rather painful penance will be required; a year's probation, i'd say...."

"Vait," Kurt interrupted. "You vant me to _join your school_?!" Kurt almost laughed. "X men. In your little .... Hell?"

A short laugh escaped Selene. "Hell is simply the prison we build in our minds when we cannot live with our own actions." Her voice remaining even, she continued. "And you should know that several of _my _children _were _Xavier's; at least until they abandoned that pathetic way of living; if you can call it that ...."

"I don't believe you." Kurt looked away from Selene's voice. "And I'm not interested; I'm not who you think I am."

"You look like someone who cast my student from a certainly fatal height, after beating him within an inch of his life, if not for his .... unique _stamina_," she purred. "You looked like a killer."

"I'm an X man ...!"

"And yet you are running from them!" Selene chuckled. "Are you sure you are still one of them? Is that what you still believe, when they haven't even followed you here?"

"I know I'm not interested in your _offer,_" he spat.

"You rest your faith in strange places, Wagner." The voice now rose. "Why do you insist on remaining a foot soldier for a telepathic megalomaniac who won't even share your own past with you?!"

Kurt snapped his face back towards Selene. "Vhat do you know about my past?"

"Quite a bit." A cold hand rested on his chest. "There are no secrets here; here, you can find your answers instead of waiting for them. Here, you have a chance to assert your own will, instead following someone elses. And ..." Kurt could feel cold breathe hit his face. "Amanda would be yours, once you were strong enough to take her."

_Take her_.

Kurt closed his eyes, thinking about the months he'd been separated from Amanda; about how empty he'd felt when he thought he'd lost her.

He thought about what Selene was offering; a way to see Amanda again, to be with her, to ...

_Take her._

Kurt looked towards Selene's voice. "I've looked like a demon all my life."

"That's no shame around here."

Kurt turned away. "But I zhought I could be somezhing else; somezhing better, more ... human." He snorted, remembering the years of hiding, the mobs, the shocked looks. "I thought maybe I deserved it, for looking zhe vay I did. But I kept telling myself I vasn't zhe demon."

"Hmm. And what were you out in the schoolyard."

Kurt took a deep breathe. "A monster."

"Yes ....?" Her voice was rising.

His face tightened. "I don't vant to see it again."

The woman was silent for several seconds. "Not even for your Amanda?"

"_My_ Amanda isn't who you're talking about." Kurt didn't blink. "She doesn't belong here eizher."

"How very disappointing."

Without warning, pain lanced through every nerve in Kurt's body, drawing a scream from him. "Would you like to step down yet?" Kurt just gritted his teeth and looked away. "No? Not in this lifetime?" The pain hit him again, for another ten agonizing seconds. "Your choice; I will simply wait for the next one." Something hot pressed into his shoulder. "In the meantime, you owe us some more answers."

Kurt finally began to scream.

--------------------

Shaw looked up as Kurt's scream reached him. "Well, that only took an hour," he muttered, fingering his bruised nose.

"Poor baby."

"Shut it, Emma," he snapped, glaring her way. Hearing snickers to his left, he sent his glare toward Harry and Donald. "What?"

Harry shrugged, while Donald grinned back at him. "We were just remembering today's entertainment."

"Not everyday we see the Black King get owned by an X Man," Harry mumbled.

"Maybe you weren't paying attention," Shaw grumbled, clenching his fists. "That freak was _mine_."

"Oh, please," Emma scoffed. "The furry had you on the ropes the whole time."

"Bull!" Shaw was on his feet now. "He was done the minute he laid his hands on me!" He glared at the other three. "Don't forget that."

Donald and Harry quickly looked away, while Emma rolled her eyes and leaned back. "So, moving on; what do you think she'll want to do with the other three?" she asked, indicating the three bound forms next to the building.

Shaw shrugged. "Don't know; might have a few ideas of my own, though ....."

"What's going on?"

Shaw glanced over her shoulder. "Nothing, girl; Inner Circle business."

"No pawns allowed!" Emma snapped, her eyes narrowed.

The visitor, who had remained in the shadows, crossed her arms. "Didn't know you were meeting here; who're they?" she asked, pointing toward the bound X men. Rogue, the only one conscious, widened her eyes as she recognized the voice.

"Ohh, don't go pretending you don't recognize them," Emma said snidely.

The girl looked at Rogue, who was glaring furiously back at her. "So they _are _here."

"Yeah, Selene's with the fuzzy one now ... hey!" Harry exclaimed as Donald shoved a metallic elbow into his rib. Seconds later, another scream was heard.

"Oh." The girl stood silently for several seconds. "Well, tell her I said hi."

"I doubt she'll care," Emma sneered.

"Ooohhh, step back," Donald whispered.

"Do you _ever _quit?"

"Diamonds never yield."

"They do with the right _force_."

"Are you offering?"

"No." The shadows hid her scowl. "Some of us actually sleep at night." With one more glance toward the screams, she turned around and headed for her dorm.

"Sweet dreams!" Emma called after her.

"None from you, I take it?"

Emma scowled at the retreating figure.

"And they call themselves the 'fairer sex'," Shaw mumbled.

**[**

**X Jet**

"Massachusetts Academy?" Logan had never thought it possible, but, over the vid link, Fury's scowl seemed to deepen. "Your _school _has a nose for trouble, Logan."

"So you know about them."

"I make it my business to know, Logan. I don't do _all _my work when you're around."

Logan scratched at his suddenly itching knuckles. "So who's your source?"

"Need to know." Tossing away his used-up cigar, Fury reached into his pocket and continued. "And, right now, all you need to know is that my jets are at the school and ready to ferry your kids over." Placing a new cigar in his mouth, Fury glared at Logan. "Just gotta ask: am I gonna need extra forces for this mutant school-game?"

"We're not goin' for a throw-down, Patch," Logan growled. "Just to be clear, we're gonna ask _nicely_."

"I feel better already," Fury deadpanned. As he lit up, Fury added. "Oh, and one more condition: your clone sits this one out."

**[**

**Xavier Institute**

"_WHAT!_"

"Sorry, Laura." Hank shrugged helplessly. "Fury was adamant; either you stay home or we don't get our ride."

SNIKT

"I'm not afraid of Fury," Laura growled, aiming her claws toward Hank.

Hank sighed. "I don't doubt that; however, given that we're sharing this extremely dire mission with our former compatriots, who I need not mention are also your former adversaries, in addition to the fact that the general lack of knowledge concerning your existence (or lack thereof,) is one of the key reasons SHIELD is not pounding at our door, it is absolutely essential that, for the sake of this mission, and our comrades who depend on this mission, that you cease and desist, be a good girl, _AND STAY RIGHT HERE!!!!_"

Laura stared at Hank without a word, her arm still frozen in place.

"Glad you understand," Hank cheerfully stated before patting Laura on the shoulder and racing outside toward the descending helijets.

Laura stared after him. _What am I supposed to do?!_

**[**

**Massachusetts Academy**

"Wretched, stubborn, excuse of a human being!"

Shaw looked up as Headmistress Selene stalked into their gathering. "Mistress ....?"

"That plush toy is boring me all too quickly."

"Really?" asked Emma. "It sounded like a blast ..."

"He screams, then stares, then screams and stares again; he won't beg, won't even say a word ...."

Shaw discreetly put a finger to his lips, right before Donald asked, "Do you wish a ... rest, Mis-"

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Selene declared, firing a life-draining blast toward Donald. "I haven't rested for thousands of years; why ever would I start now; I'm trying to enjoy myself!" Donald was too busy gasping for breathe to continue.

Others were not so busy. "So he knows nothing?" Emma asked, looking almost bored by the scene.

"Were you listening, child?" Selene's fingers and eyes shifted toward Emma. "I said he wouldn't talk." She took a step toward Emma. "What he knows, or thinks he knows, however ...?"

Emma's face shifted from boredom to contempt. "I tried; he has mental blocks in his brain. First-class."

"Xavier." Selene narrowed her eyes. "I thought you were past him; "

"Oh, I am _far _past him," Emma sneered. "But there is still no living telepath on the planet more powerful than him. I _can _remove these blocks; it will simply take more time."

"How much?"

"Maybe we don't need her," Shaw cut in smoothly. "I mean, Donald here isn't the only one here with buttons to push."

"They push back, man ...."

"Bring it on." Shaw turned back toward the two women. "You taught us yourself, Mistress: everybody's got a weak point, something we can exploit. Correct?"

"You _have _been paying attention." Selene crossed her arms, her expression now thoughtful. "Where's the bitch Sefton?"

**[**

"_Sounds as though you landed in Hell."_

_Kurt scoffed. "Close enough."_

"_And you never found her, did you?"_

"_No."_

"_Well." The priest's voice had risen. "I hate to repeat myself, but I did mention the dangers one invites when taking matters into their own ..."_

"_She found me."_

**[**

_Kurt?_

Kurt moaned and rolled his head away from the noise.

_Kurt, wake up._

He was dreaming. That was the only explanation. No way he could possibly be hearing ...

"KURT!!"

Kurt gasped and opened his eyes. When he noticed the shadow bending over him, instinct took over and he pushed himself upward, tackling the figure and driving it into the ground.

"Kurt, stop!"

Kurt froze upon hearing the voice. It couldn't be ....

Kurt's thoughts were interrupted by a shove from the figure beneath him, which sent him rolling several feet before coming to a full stop. Taking a pained breathe, he raised his eyes toward the figure, praying what he'd heard was real ... "Amanda?"

"Oh god, Kurt ..." The beautiful face that he'd been missing for the past few months was suddenly very close to him as she wrapped him in a tight embrace. Unable to form any coherent thoughts, Kurt returned the embrace, despite the flaring pain in his ribs and shoulders.

"Are you all right? Did she hurt you?" Amanda demanded, pulling slightly away from Kurt to look him over while keeping her hands on his shoulders.

"How ..."

"John warned me; said some Xaviers were being held on campus."

"Campus ...?" Kurt stared back at Amanda as his memories of the day returned to their terrible coherency. "Vhat's going on, Amanda?"

Amanda shook her head. "It's a _long_ story," she answered as she rose to her feet.

Kurt pulled her back down. "I can vait."

"No, we _can't!_" Slipping an arm under her shoulder, Amanda pulled Kurt to his feet. "She could be back any second now; we have to get out of here!"

Kurt pulled away. "Rogue and Kitty ...."

"They're with the Inner Circle, along with some other guy." Releasing him, Amanda fixed him with a pointed glare. "Kurt, we can't help them ourselves; we need to get in touch with Xavier and get the X men over here ...."

"I _need_," Kurt snapped, glaring back at Amanda, "to know who I'm talking to."

He had never seen her look so hurt. "Kurt?"

"It's been a month, Amanda; a month since you've even said a word to me, since you even pretended to know I existed." Kurt crossed his arms as he backed away from Amanda, his lip trembling slightly. "And it took only took me a few hours of zhat to hear about your new _teacher_ and ... and your new _boyfriend._"

Amanda's arms seemed to drop. "Giving up on me now, Kurt?" she asked, tears rimming her eyes.

"Vhat's to give up on?" Kurt stopped backing away. "I don't even know you anymore!"

Amanda looked away. "You don't want to know, Kurt ..."

"But I do!" Kurt snapped. "Have I ever kept anything from _you?!_"

Amanda stared at Kurt for several seconds before turning her back on him and walking away.

"Amanda ..." Kurt called, but shhe was already stopping and pointing toward the way she had come.

"Have you seen this place, Kurt?" Kurt nodded. "Have you _lived _here?" Amanda stepped toward Kurt. "This isn't the Institute; do you know what it takes to survive a single day here?!" Amanda had never looked so angry.

Kurt looked at Amanda, his face ashen. "Vhat ....?"

"No, don't ask, Kurt; you don't want to know." Amanda shook her head and turned away from Kurt, wrapping her arms around herself. "You _don't _want to know what they do here; what _I've done ....!!!_" Her shoulders began to shake.

Words escaped Kurt for the moment; instead, he walked up behind Amanda and put a furry hand on each of her shoulders.

Amanda shook her head sharply. "Kurt, no ...."

Ignoring her, Kurt moved closer and wrapped his arms around her.

"Kurt," Amanda mumbled, struggling half-heartedly against his embrace. "Let go; I'm done ...."

Leaning toward her, he whispered into her ear.

"Have I ever given up on us before?"

Her face tightened as the tears flowed freely. Suddenly she twisted in his hold, burying her face in his shoulder and wrapping her arms around his back. "I wish you did."

Kurt shook his head. "Sorry; no can do."

Amanda chuckled into his shoulder, then looked up at him. "You know blue is _still _my favourite color?"

"How sweet."

Kurt's blood went cold as he looked towards the voice.

"You ask me, child, it's positively _sickening_," remarked the older woman standing at the head of the crowd, all dressed in black tights and plastic, expressionless masks, that had gathered at the edge of the woods.

"It's Selene," whispered Amanda, looking as though the school dance demons were paying another visit.

Without a word, Kurt tightened his hold on Amanda and closed his eyes.

Selene sighed. "Leaving already? Without even a farewell?"

Kurt shook his head. "Not to you," he growled.

"She didn't mean _you._"

Kurt whipped his face around and was confronted by a glaring Shaw with another crowd of masked students behind him, several groups dragging ....

Kurt released Amanda and stared in horror as the kids shoved three bodies before him. To his left stood a bruised and bloodied Remy, with his arms tied to a shaft pinned across his shoulders. Next to him lay Rogue, her deadly hands tightly in heavy cloth and bound behind her back. Finally, next to Rogue lay Kitty, who wasn't bound at all; she seemed to be in a coma.

Kurt spun toward Selene. "Vhat did you do to zhem?!"

Selene shrugged. "We defended ourselves. Your _friends_, much like you, were trespassing on our grounds, harassing our students, never mind destroying our hall!" She cast a malevolent glare at Gambit, who stared back impassively.

Kurt looked back toward his sister, his best friend, his .... well, housemate. "You don't vant us here? Fine; kick us out already; ve von't come here again ...."

"Oh, it doesn't work that way here." Selene slowly shook her head. "Hasn't your girlfriend clued you in, yet?"

Kurt looked over at Amanda, who had her hands behind her back and her eyes cast toward the ground. "No one leaves the Mistress, Kurt." She was already backing away towards Selene's group. "Not without soft shoes handy."

_Soft shoes ..._

"No?" Kurt looked back at Selene. "Watch me."

"Take him."

The rough hands were on Kurt before he could convince his still-pained body to move. Desperately, he swung his still-free legs about, downing several others before those limbs were seized also.

Selene walked up to the struggling Kurt. "You have five minutes for fun; then, he is to be left to me. Understood?"

"Yes, Mistress," they all replied in unison, seconds before the first fist crashed into his jaw. And then an elbow followed, knocking him from their collective grip and into the ground. And then the blows continued.

Though she wasn't allowing it to show, Amanda Sefton was afraid. Showing fear, or any emotion that wasn't demanded of you, made you a target in this place. Since her parents had sent her here, buying into the so-called 'sanctuary', she had quickly learned how to blend in, how to bury the Amanda Sefton she had grown up as so that Amanda Sefton could survive.

Now, as she watched her fellow classmates whoop and yell as they attacked the prone, helpless Kurt, she began to wonder whether she'd survived at all.

"Full of surprises, aren't we?" Emma remarked as she stepped behind Amanda.

Amanda shrugged. "I grew up in Bayville, Emma." She crossed her arms behind her back and turned slightly. "We lived with surprises."

Without warning, a shimmering beam shot from Amanda's hands, striking Emma in the midsection and driving her back into the crowd. Immediately, she turned and fired a flurry of mystic blasts toward Selene. Without waiting to see them hit, she ran towards the mob assaulting Kurt and fired toward their heads, driving them to the floor.

A battered Kurt looked up in time to see Amanda, his grilfriend that he'd come to rescue, gesture towards the group behind her before the entire crowd itself seemed to swim out of focus. "Woah."

Amanda's head snapped toward him. "Kurt?" She rushed over and knelt next to him. "Are you ...?"

"Zhat ..." he breathed weakly, "vas _too _cool."

Amanda grinned. "More to talk about?"

"Deal. After ve leave."

"Dea ....." Amanda's reply was cut short as her expression twisted and she began to scream.

"Pathetic." Selene walked up next to Amanda, gesturing slightly. "I've spent lifetimes perfecting what I've shared in class." She gestured again, drawing another spasm from Amanda. "After all these years, you dare _attack your teacher?!!!!_" She sharply cut through the air with her ridge hand, and Amanda dropped to the ground.

Amanda gritted her teeth and rolled to face Selene. Energy gathered around her hands.

"Oh, spare us." In the next instant, Amanda was facedown on the ground, her body shaking from Selene's latest attack.

Kurt shuddered at the sight and pulled himself to his feet.

Selene knelt next to Amanda. "It seems you're in need of a _new _teacher." Amanda's eyes widened.

As though sensing her fear, Kurt lunged with unexpected speed. "LEAVE HER ALONE!"

One of the masked figures stepped in his way, and was rewarded with a furry elbow to the bridge of the nose. The figure fell, and two more fell in behind him.

Selene grabbed Amanda by her hair as she gestured toward the ground in front of them. "Sshhh, I think they're waiting." Sulphur began forming around Amanda.

Panic overrode Kurt's being. "NO!" he yelled, knocking another attacker to the ground and running toward the two women.

Selene pulled Amanda's face close to hers. "Anything to say, child?"

Instead of answering, Amanda locked her eyes on Kurt as he struggled with another pair of students. "Kurt ..."

"AMANDA!" Kurt screamed as he drove a furry fist into another attacker's jaw and raced towards her.

Selene finally noticed him. "Oh, for the love of ..." She made another gesture.

Kurt's nerves seemed to catch fire as Selene's attack hit him. He screamed, and doubled over, clutching his stomach. For scant seconds, all coherent thought fled his mind. Everything he'd learned, from his parents, his priests, his instructors at the Institute; every idea he'd committed himself to; every _person _he'd committed to; even his reasons for coming to this hellish school; all of it blurred behind the intense pain.

For a second.

Then he looked at Amanda.

That second ended.

Gnashing his teeth, Kurt took another step.

Selene sighed. "And I used to pray for long nights." She tightened her hold on Amanda's hair. "You're late, anyway."

Amanda reached a glowing hand out towards Kurt as the sulphur around her continued to build. "Kurt, I...."

And then she was gone.

The same instant, Kurt strength gave out and he collapsed. Where Amanda had lay, where the sight that had filled some of his happiest memories, that had driven him into Selene's blast, there only remained the ground beneath her and a few wisps of sulphur.

Gone ...

He didn't look up as Selene approached. "Vhat could you vant from me now?"

He could almost feel her studying him. "Nothing, actually." She then looked towards her gathered Inner Circle. "They're all yours." Without another glance, she turned and stalked back into the darkness.

Shaw smirked and looked around at his fellow members. "Any takers?"

Any response was cut short as something exploded in their midst, knocking them in all directions.

Tossing away the remains of the broken shaft, Remy rushed over toward Kurt and gave him a shove. "You awake dere, _homme_?" Kurt didn't move. Remy shrugged. "Your funeral; by de way, y'_femme's _a helluva shot." Without pause, he leapt to his feet and ran towards Rogue and Kitty.

Kurt looked at where Amanda had been, his mind suddenly racing. The sight of Amanda reaching out in her last moments. Reaching out for ...

Remy ran as a glowering Shaw rose to his feet. "You slimy, inbred, backwater hick!" he sputtered.

Reaching out ...

Remy's boots slammed into Shaw's midsection, a move that only seemed to spur the shorter mutant on. Without pause, Shaw grabbed at Remy's legs and swung him around.

Kurt blinked. She'd been reaching _past _him.

Gambit grunted as several steel fingers wrapped around his throat and lifted him off the ground. Quickly, he grabbed at Donald's metallic shoulder.

Kurt looked at the broken, discarded shaft. She'd been aiming at _Gambit._

Donald howled as his shoulder exploded, separating his arm from his body. "Do you know what that cost me?!!!" Instead of answering, Remy swung the now glowing arm into Pierce, sending him catapulting back into the woods.

Kurt looked back towards the fight. In her last moments, Amanda had used the last of her power to give them a fighting chance.

Remy grunted as Harry's attack hit him, driving him to the ground like a dead weight.

_What about standing by your friends? _Kurt looked at his helpless teammates, then at the ground he'd sat upon the entire time.

Shaw gave Remy a kick in the ribs. "He _is_ heavy," he chuckled.

"And you called my power lame," Harry mumbled.

"How about mine?"

Harry blinked as he found a furry demon dropping onto his large frame. By instinct, he aimed his force upward.

He instantly regretted it.

"Hey! No fair; get off!" he grunted.

"You're .... not .... making ..... zhat .... easy!" Kurt grunted, straining to lift the extra weight he suddenly carried.

"All right, all right!" Harry moaned as he let go.

Shaw shook his head. "This is just embarassing," he muttered before he stepped toward a still-prone Remy. Suddenly he found himself surrounded by sulphuric smoke. "Hey! What ..."

BAMF!

"... do ..."

BAMF!

"... you ..."

BAMF!

"... think ..."

BAMF!

"... you're ..."

BAMF!

"... doing?!" Shaw finished as the sulphuric smoke finally cleared. Looking around, he immediately realized he was nowhere near the Academy.

"Better get back to school," Kurt remarked as he leaped off the tall building he had left Shaw on.

"Hey!" Shaw snarled as Kurt vanished yet again. _Where am I?_

--------------------

"Gambit!" Rogue hissed. As the thief turned to face her, she jerked her head to the left. "We got company!"

Remy looked toward the approaching mob of masked students. "Hmm; and here I thought y'just wanted my attention, _chere_."

Rogue shook her head in disgust and frustration. "This is the _last _tahme Ah leave th'Institute with you!"

"Aww, _chere_," Remy replied, side-stepping toward her while keeping his eye on the crowd. "I ain't _dat_ easy to get rid of," he grinned. Quick as a snake, he reached out and brushed the back of his hand against her cheek.

Rogue suddenly felt very warm ....

"Hey! I ain't finished with you!" Harry yelled as he fired another attack at Remy, driving him to the ground.

"Dis gettin' old," Remy mumbled into the dirt.

Harry ignored him. "You'd make a nice hole in the ground, or maybe .... HEY!" Any thoughts brewing were forgotten as the cloth formerly on Rogue's hands blew up in his face.

Now Harry's hands were at his own face. "AAAGGHHH! My face! You skinny, skunk-headed skank! Oh god, I gonna sue, I'm telling you, I'll have my lawyers on your goddamned front steps and on your phone, hell they'll practically live there ..... ugh ...." The rant ended in a faint groan as Rogue's bare hands touched his face.

As Remy climbed to his feet, he noticed Rogue clutching her stomach, moaning. "Man; what does this boy eat?"

"_Attends, chere_." Rogue quickly forgot her newfound weight as she noticed the crowd closing in, and shifted her focus on her newly absorbed powers. She held up a hand.

The effect was immediate. Several students amidst the crowd staggered and tripped over their newly dead-weight feet. Others simply collapsed onto their backs as the force hit them. Those not bearing the full brunt of the blast were tripping over the rapidly forming building pile of bodies in front of them.

"_Schwester_?"

"Kurt!" Rogue quickly turned to find her panting brother clutching an unconscious Kitty in his arms. "Are you all right?"

"Ja." He looked over at the struggling crowd, then at Kitty. "I don't know about Kitty, though; ve have to get out of here."

"'Bout tahme you said that," Rogue snapped, placing a hand on his arm. "C'mon, Gambit ... Gambit?" She looked around.

Remy was on the ground, clutching his head and groaning as though a sudden migraine had come over him.

Rogue's eyes widened. "The psych-AAAHHH!!" she screamed, grabbing her own head as the headache hit her. Seconds later, Kurt received the same attack and dropped Kitty as he began to claw at his skull ...

Less than a minute later, the only movement came from Emma as she slipped out of the nearby bush and surveyed the semi-conscious X men. As she approached them, she noticed a drooling Remy prop himself up on one elbow.

"Continue your pathetic little plan, and I'll see to it that you spend the rest of your rapidly shortening life lusting after the hogs in our bloody farm," she threatened.

A pair of slender, cold arms wrapped around her waist from behind. "I knew I kept you around for something," Selene murmered, her cold breath on Emma's neck.

"Mistress." Emma swallowed nervously. "What do you require?"

"Gather the others; I want them to see this."

--------------------

"CHILDREN!" Selene bellowed at the gathered students, torch in hand. "Students! Devotees! You all know why you came here." She stalked back and forth like a caged animal. "You sought freedom from fear; you wished for opportunity without servitude; you _prayed,_" she hissed, gripping the torch tighter, "for deliverance from that fickle, decadent miserable excuse for civilization." She swivelled to face the students. "Have I not answered your prayers?"

"Yes, Mistress!" came the scattered shouts throughout the crowd.

"HAVE I??!!!!!!" she shrieked, her eyes flaring.

"YES, MISTRESS!!!" the crowd roared.

"That's more like it!" Turning her back on the crowd, she stared at something the students could not see. "But there is a price. I do not bestow gifts as a parent would spoil their child through generosity." She glared back at the crowd. "My generosity must be _earned_! Fought for! Taken!" She looked from face to face. "What's the word?!"

"NO LIMITS! NO RESTRAINT! AND ABSOLUTELY NO MERCY!"

"Well said!" Seeming to calm slightly, Selene rested the lit torch on her shoulder and walked slower. "But words alone do not satisfy me; talk is cheap, and talk alone is an emptiness without even a shell to speak of." She aimed a torch towards students at the front of the crowd. "What I expect from you are your _actions._"

"What is your request, Mistress?" someone from the crowd shouted.

Selene grinned and stepped to the side, allowing the students to see the four X men bound to the ground. "These are the X men that infiltrated our schools this very day; the same that invaded your dorms, destroyed our hall, and tried to kidnap one of our own!" She leered at Kurt, receiving a cold glare in return. "So tell me: what should we do with them?"

"Send them home." Silence fell as Selene darted over to the crowd, her eyes flaring.

"Who said that?!" she demanded. Suddenly, her glare focused on her longtime Apache student. "Proudstar?"

The young Apache's guarded expression did not change. "They don't belong here; I say we wipe their memories and send them ...."

"Send them where?" Emma interrupted. "Back to their home? Back into the hands of the world's most powerful telepath?"

"I thought _you_ were."

"That's enough!" Selene snapped as Emma's eyes flared. "Time for him later." She stepped back. "How about it? Do we send them back to the world, after all they've seen here, all they know about our sanctuary?"

As the crowd roared its response, Rogue threw a glance towards Kurt. "Are these people insane?" she hissed as she strained against her bonds.

Kurt simply stared in front of him, his eyes dull. "Does it matter?" he asked.

"I say we get rid of them here," shouted Shaw. "Leave no trace behind."

"How?" someone in the crowd asked.

Shaw smirked. "We need gasoline."

Selene grinned. "That's more like it."

Rogue, seeing the crowd run off, gave her bonds another desperate tug. "Ugh!" She looked over at Remy. "Any luck?"

The Cajun grimly shook his head. "'M outta plays."

"Kurt ....?" Rogue looked over at her brother only to find he wasn't even trying. "Hey!"

"I heard you," Kurt snapped.

"Then why ain't you ...?!"

"Because ve're _not_ getting out!" Kurt snapped, then looked back at the sky, his expression torn. "Ve're stuck here; trapped ... because of me." He looked back at Rogue. "I'm sorry."

"Save it," Rogue snapped. "I ain't waiting for them." She strained against the rope.

Suddenly, something struck the ground near Kurt's wrist. As he instinctively jerked his hand away, he realized that the rope binding that hand had been severed by the ....

Kurt began to laugh as he picked the knife up and began cutting at his other bonds. "You know I don't deserve this," he called out.

Remy raised an eyebrow. "Who he talkin' to?" Rogue shrugged.

As Kurt began working on his friends' bonds, a distant John Proudstar glared at his companion. "You sure about this? If anyone ..."

"Just keep your head down, and your mind shut," the figure hissed. "It's up to them now."

"Can you get us outta here now?" Rogue asked as she carefully drapped Kitty's arm over her shoulder.

"I zhink so; ve just better ...."

"They're running!"

"Go, go, _go_!!" Kurt snapped, grabbing Kitty's other arm.

The four quickly ducked behind a nearby building and hurried toward the other end. Already, however, the campus was alive with shouts.

"They've escaped!"

"Where'd they go?"

"Quick; find them!"

Remy peeked around the corner of the building. "Good time to port, maybe?" he suggested.

"Can you see zhe main entrance?"

"_Oui_. Can we – uugghh!" Remy grunted as something slammed into his gut.

"I like this staff," Manuel remarked as he stepped into view, casually wielding a long, silver quarterstaff. "I got them!" he yelled. "They're ... hey!" he snapped as Remy's shoulder slammed into his midsection, driving him into the wall and knocking the staff to the ground.

"Rogue ..." Kitty moaned, raising her index finger. Rogue glanced behind her just in time to see a stone-faced Tessa bearing down, knife in hand. Quickly, she shoved Kitty at Kurt and twisted her body, moving herself out of the way while driving her forearm into Tessa's wrist and knocking the knife off course. Without slowing, Tessa flipped the knife in her hand and slashed toward Rogue. Acting on instinct, Rogue grabbed the forearm and twisted it in an arm lock Logan had taught her.

Kurt, still holding the weakened Kitty, took another look around the grounds while Remy and Rogue struggled with their opponents. Already, the shouts were getting closer.

What Logan had never covered in their sessions were scenarios when her opponent spun, following Rogue's twist, and drove an elbow into her spine. Much as Tessa was doing now. Grunting in pain, Rogue spun her body sharply, bringing her leg up in a blind spinning wheel.

Remy fired another couple shots into Miguel's ribs, feeling the second one break bone. As his opponent sagged against the nearby wall, Remy crouched and picked up his staff. "Didn't no one teach ya 'bout stealin' from ...." His quip was cut short as Miguel dove into him, knocking the staff away and Remy into the ground.

Tessa was quick; without pause, she swept her knife towards Rogue's head. Ducking to avoid it, Rogue was ill-prepared for the slash to her shins. Gritting her teeth, Rogue dove forward and rolled towards the glint she had spotted near the struggling Remy and Miguel.

After several minutes of rolling around and clawing at his opponent, Miguel finally found himself above his opponent's back. Grunting with effort, Miguel drove his elbow into Remy's spine, driving the thief to the ground. Without hesitating, Miguel rolled on top and wrapped an arm around Remy's neck. "One charmer to another," he hissed.

Tessa lunged, only to to be met by the discarded quarterstaff, which Rogue had snatched and swung toward her before holding it between them. Pausing, Tessa began to circle the downed, bleeding Rogue.

Grunting with effort, Remy reached up with his legs, hooked them around Miguel's neck and pulled, hurling the stunned Puerto Rican several feet away.

Before Tessa could calculate her next attack, brimstone filled her vision.

"Come on!" Kurt yelled, a still-weak Kitty in one arm and a limping Rogue in the other. In seconds, Remy was at their side, grabbing Rogue's arm and slinging it over his shoulder as they fled the students approaching from all directions.

"You ready to port or not?!" Rogue yelled, scowling at her latest predicament.

Kurt pointed in front of them. "I have to see zhe entrance; vhen I give zhe vord, grab on and I'll ...." Whatever he was going to do was soon forgotten, as the three suddenly tripped and stumbled over feet that suddenly could no longer support them.

"You'll what?" Emerging from the surrounding darkness, almost as though she was formed from it, came Selene, her eyes and fingers glowing like polished ebony.

Within the minute, the escapees lay at the center of a circle of students, all waiting for the 'event' they had been promised.

"Did you bring it?" Seeing the large cans in several students hands, Selene nodded curtly. "Use it up; let's not waste any more time tonight."

Kurt coughed as the foul-smelling liquid was dumped upon him, soaking his fur and the ground around him.

"I wonder how they sneak away this time," Harry observed.

Donald snorted. "Yeah. Right."

Kurt looked around at his coughing friends; friends he'd talked into this trip, brought into this hellish academy.

The air itself seemed to glow as each student lit up their torches.

Remy snorted. "So much for m'hiding place ..."

Rogue, still clutching Kitty to her, shot him a scowl, then turned it back toward Selene, who was now approach with her own torch.

Crouching next to Kurt, she gazed at the group for several long seconds. "You know, executions are a hobby of mine. Someone facing their last hour, minutes .... _seconds_," she shuddered, "their souls are wide open. Only then, do we see the person they have been hiding their entire life." She looked eagerly at each of them. "I don't suppose you have any last words to share?"

Remy scoffed quietly. "Dat mean's dinner outta de question, _chere?_"

Selene chuckled, then looked at Kurt and Rogue. "Anyone else?"

Rogue narrowed her eyes, then spit in Selene's face.

The woman did not even blink. "If that's what you have to say ..." She stood up and turned her back on the group.

Kurt looked around at his friends. "I'm sorry."

"WHAT'S THE WORD??!!!" Selene yelled.

"NO LIMITS!"

Kurt reached out and took his sister's hand; after hesitating a moment, she squeezed back.

"NO RESTRAINTS!"

The eager crowd surged forward, torches raised.

Kurt stared upward and began mouthing a prayer.

Seeing no one looking, Remy quickly crossed himself.

"AND ABSOLUTELY .... "

" ... forgive us our trespasses ..." Kurt mumbled.

".... NO ....!"

The students reared their arms back ....

And thunder shook the grounds.

Shaw froze. "Is this somebody's joke?"

Within seconds, the 'joke' was on all of them, in the form of a torrential downpour that drenched both the students and their torches.

"Our lucky night?" quipped Donald, staring at his shorting-out limbs.

Selene shook her head. "Luck," she muttered, pointing toward two shapes descending from the sky, "is a fool's errand." In the next insant, Jean Grey and Ororo Munroe had joined the prone shapes in the middle of the crowd.

"Hey! Late arriv-" Harry began before being knocked back by Jean's telepathic shield.

Suddenly, the entire crowd found it's attention drawn by the bright sparkles drawing a circle around them. Those students who looked closely could almost make out the tube of ice mirroring its path. Those who strained their eyes could also make out the small, humanoid forms forming and dropping to the ground.

A sudden onslaught of noise then drew all eyes toward the gate. There, balls exploded in mid air; electricity crackled, inhuman growls were heard, sticks and balls of fire glowed ...

"Uhhh .... the apocalypse come early or something?" Harry asked, his face twisted in confusion.

"Shut up," Shaw hissed. "It's the Xaviers!"

Selene shook her head, looking almost bored. "I take it you started your invasion early, Xavier?" she called.

_I am not here to invade. _The crowd collectively shivered as the voice rang through their heads.

"Then show yourself and stop hiding like a coward!" Selene hissed.

_Very well._

At first, only the reddish glow and the glint of adamantium could be seen, then Xavier rolled slowly out of the shadows, Scott and Logan at his side.

His narrowed eyes set forward, he appraoched the crowd. "Don't even think of it, Emma," he warned as he neared the glowering blonde. Scanning the crowd, he nodded toward the Apache boy. "John." A glaring John Proudstar tightened his grip on his knife.

Finally, he stopped in front of the tall woman at the head of the crowd. "Selene, I presume?"

"I see you know me," Selene sneered.

"Yes; and you, no doubt, know who I am."

"Indeed." Interlocking her fingers, Selene rested her hands in front of her. "Then you know whose school grounds you're .... _sitting_ upon."

"I do." Xavier finally broke eye contact with Selene and looked toward the center of the crowd. "And we both know you are detaining several of my students on those same grounds."

"_My _grounds, Xavier." Selene shook a finger towards Xavier. "If you have a complaint, I suggest you call-"

"The police? I have." Xavier crossed his arms and leaned back, his eyes locked on Selene again. "I was told they are _still _under orders to avoid this area."

Selene shrugged. "Then I can't help you -"

"Oh, you can. Easily, in fact." Xavier leaned toward Selene. "Release my students, and we will walk away, without breathing a word of what we saw."

Selene laughed. "You are behind, _Professor._" Pointing towards her crowd, she glared at Xavier with a sudden ferocity. "Your students came to _my _school, harassed _my _students, and destroyed several of _my buildings_."

"And they will be punished," Xavier interjected. "But not by you."

"Why not?" Selene grinned wickedly. "Does your lightshow put you in charge, here?!" She snapped her fingers.

Immediately, the crowd began to move toward Xavier. Jean, still struggling to maintain her shield, cast a worried look at Ororo, who rose from checking on Kitty, readying her powers.

At the entrance, the rest of the gathered X men surged forward until Hank raised a hand.

Outside the walls, Nick Fury cursed under his breath and signalled his squads, waiting for the first blow.

Near Xavier, Logan extended his claws and growled, while a stone-faced Scott put a hand to his visor.

Xavier, in contrast, barely moved, except to put a hand to his temple._ Multiple? It's time. _Before he removed his fingers, a ring of torches flared up, surrounding the crowd of Hellions with fire.

Xavier glared back at Selene. "You should know very well my X men are capable of much more than a _lightshow_," he stated.

Selene harumphed. "You think we're afraid? HELLION'S? ADVANCE!" The crowd began to move faster.

"This needn't go any further, Selene; release my students now," Xavier insisted while sending mental warnings to all his gathered students not to strike first.

"Absolutely not!" Selene snapped. "Not in this lifetime, not in the next, or ..."

"You _will_." Xavier's brow furrowed.

Selene suddenly stopped and stared at Xavier, looking aghast for the first time. "You wouldn't dare," she breathed.

Xavier simply raised his chin and continued to stare.

Selene held that stare for several long seconds, then snorted. "Fine. But if I so much as dream that any of yours come within sight of my school ...."

"Mistress ..." a shocked Shaw began.

"Back to your rooms, or join me in my chamber," Selene snarled. Within the minute, except for her and the X men, the grounds were empty. She waved dismissively at Kurt, Kitty, Remy, and Rogue. "They're all yours."

Xavier's gaze did not leave Selene. "Logan? Scott?"

"You got it." The two men hurried over to Jean and Ororo. "Come on, Elf," Logan grunted, draping Kurt over his shoulder. He then looked over to see Ororo pulling a bleary Remy to his feet. "Hey, Chuck, don't suppose we can leave them an offering for the trouble .... Hey! All right, all right," he grumbled, rubbing his suddenly aching head. "Lets go."

---------------------

Though unseen, the Inner Circle members watched while the unwelcome X men backed through the gates and towards their jets. "Not a moment too soon," Emma observed.

"No." Selene glided silently into the room. "And it won't last."

"Why won't they leave us alone?" Harry demanded.

"Does it matter?" Selene shook her head. "The real question is: what do we do about it."

"We reach outward." Shaw stated from his corner in the room.

Emma glared. "You know that's against our charter ..."

"No limits, remember?" Shaw stood and approached the group. "I say it's time we stopped waiting for them to knock on our door, and started making sure they stay away to begin with."

"We've had this discussion before, Sebastian ..." Selene began.

"And they came back," Shaw snapped. "Again, despite your policy, _Mistress_," he sneered. "I think we'd better have that discussion again."

Selene's darkening glare now turned toward Shaw.

**[**

**X Jet – Several Hours Later**

Though miles away and hours ahead, Xavier had a glare to match.

"I hope I don't need to describe how disappointed I am in all of you," he began, facing the four heavily-medicated, but conscious, students. "Your actions were reckless, impulsive, and, above all ...."

"Dangerous?" Kurt wasn't even looking at the Professor; something else seemed to have his attention.

"Yes." Xavier looked from face to face. "Now: must I probe all of your minds to discover the architect of this excursion?" Almost reflexively, his eyes settled on Remy.

Noticing this, the Cajun mutant smiled and spread out his arms. "Now, who else could do such a t'ing, Professor?"

"Is that a yes, Gambit?" Xavier did not look amused.

Though his eyes flickered toward Kurt, the Cajun shrugged. "What can I say; must be a creature of habit ...."

"Shut up, Gambit," Kurt snapped. Finally facing Xavier, he went on. "It vas my fault; and you can read my mind if you don't believe me."

"No .... Professor ..." Kitty whispered, still weak from Selene's attack.

"Easy," Rogue coaxed, patting her roommate on the back. "We tried t'stop 'im at first, but we ended up goin' along with it."

"Why?"

Rogue looked down at her knees. "It looked like she was in trouble."

"I see." Xavier's face and tone seemed to hold more ice than Bobby on his best day. "And this is why you decided to hijack one of our aircraft, trespass on another school's grounds, harass its students ....?"

"Harass?" Some animation, in the form of anger and disbelief, had finally entered Kurt's face. "Zhey kidnapped Amanda; and now zhey ....!" his face tightened.

Xavier's expression softened slightly. "Then why wasn't I told?" Instead of answering, Kurt looked back out the window. "I see."

"Why you defending them, Professah?" Rogue interrupted. "Did ya see the place, Professor? Did ya see what they were doin' there?!!!"

"I did indeed, Rogue; and yes, it was apalling. But it is not _our _school, and not our place to dictate ..."

"Not our place?" Rogue stared at Xavier, not believing what she was hearing. "Whose side are ya on, Professor?"

It was as though a shadow fell across Xavier's face. "In the hours since we left, I have received several calls from the Boston school board, along with one of it's law firms, both threatening action. I am already trying to deal with the Seftons and Bayville police concerning Kurt's charges, plus inquiries from the FBI about a .... Jacques Cartier?" Remy found himself fighting a smirk. "I owe explanations to Fury and SHIELD, who we had to rely on for transport due to missing vehicles. On top of all that, I must soon explain to your families why all of you received such grievous injuries while under my care!" Ignoring Rogue's scowl and Remy's contemptous snort, he maintained his renewed glare. "I don't have the luxury of 'sides.' Because of your thoughtless actions, I, and the school, will soon find ourselves in the middle of all too many of them!"

"So where dis goin'?" Remy inquired, leaning back against the bulkhead. "Back out on de street?"

"It would make you the first." Xavier shrugged. "But no; since you all received a fairly harsh lesson from your excursion, I think I can settle for probation, this time. For starters ...."

**[**

**Xavier Institute – Several Hours Later**

Minutes after the aircraft returned, a heavy silence filled the mansion. The memories of lit torches in the hands of the sociopathic students, the attacks and tortures visited upon Kurt, Kitty, Remy, and Rogue ... those memorie seemed to cast a shadow that followed every student home.

By the time the two aircraft reached the Institute, Kurt, Rogue, Remy, and Kitty found themselves facing over a month of running extra Danger Room sessions under Logan, cleaning the vehicles, and the majority of other house chores. All after they were sufficiently recovered from the Academy's unique punishments, of course.

The other students, as though sensing the hostile mood that had descended upon Xavier, were in no mood to try and draw his attention to them during lights-out, and thus fled to their assigned rooms. Fearing sleep after what they had seen, they turned their books, iPods .... anything to stave off the memory before submitting to their dreams.

The only exception was Laura, whom Logan found asleep in the rec room with her claws impaling what might have once resembled one of Bobby's game controllers. Without a word, Logan discreetly extracted her spikes and gently lifted her off the couch.

Even the infirmary remained silent. Not wishing to add to the tension even his non-psychic mind could sense, Hank focused his full attention on dressing his patients wounds.

Rogue and Remy had sustained only cuts and bruised, except for the gashes in Rogue's legs. Hank focused on these first, taking care to close the curtain and block the nearby Remy's view.

Kitty, though virtually unmarked, still had barely the energy to lift an arm. Hank hooked her up to IV's, hoping rest would restore her stolen energy.

Kurt himself was a mess; in addition to the bruises he had received at the hands of Shaw, his body sported a number of white patches where Selene had burned him, red lines giving away the use of her whip ... Hank shook his head as he tried to process what he was seeing. Even Logan with the Danger Room at the highest levels had never caused such extensive injuries.

What was more troubling than these injuries, however, was the fact that Kurt did not appear to notice them. Instead, he stared in front of him, at something only he could see. Even Hank's reflex hammer brought only the slightest wince.

Hank glanced in the direction Kurt was staring. All he could spot was his furry hands, still resting on the image inducer he still wore. He looked back at Kurt. "I'm sorry about,"

"Don't." It was the first word Kurt had said since his rescue.

Sighing, Hank went to work on the burns. "You know," he remarked, "whatever you're staring at there, I doubt you'll find what you're looking for."

Kurt slowly shook his head. "It's a little late for zhat," he whispered, making two furry fists.

Hank shrugged. "You never know," he replied, dipping a cloth in a jar of clorophorm. "Depends on which way you're looking."

Kurt finally looked at Hank before the clorophorm entered his lungs, gently easing him back into darkness.

**[**

**Bayville Church - Present Day**

"Is that what you seek here?"

Kurt looked at the lattice in surprise. "Vhat did you zhink I vas here for?"

"To seek out His Mercy?"

Kurt's eyes narrowed. "'As high as the heavens are above the earth'?"

"Indeed." The priest nodded. "But it does not extend below." A slight sigh could be heard. "I'm afraid you and your kind are beyond forgiveness."

"My _kind?!_"

"You know, one of my congregation asked me if Satan himself could ever seek forgiveness." The loathing in the priest's voice, which Kurt could only glimpse before, was now all he could hear. "I told him that some sins, some _blasphemies_ are beyond forgiveness; that God cast him into the lake of fire not only because he had committed those sins; but because ... it was in his nature."

Kurt shook his head. Was he hearing this? From the man he'd confessed to since he had come to Bayville? "How can you say zhis?"

"God is merciful; but he is also just." The man's shoulders briefly rose. "There were alway some that had to be cast out of the Kingdom of Heaven."

Kurt stared at the lattice as though he'd never seen it before. "I zhink I ... better go." Quickly, h stood up and began walking away.

"Go where?" the priest called. "This doesn't change what you are." A clanking was heard as the priest burst out of his confessional. "You're a devil, Kurt; a bringer of woe! However you lie, however you hide .... !"

Kurt finally cast a hurt look back towards the priest. "Goodbye ... Fazher Stryker."

**[**

**Xavier Institute – Later that Evening**

Xavier looked up from his book as the knocks reached his ears. "Who is it?"

The door inched open and a blue, furry, and very nervous face peeked through. "Professor? If you're not too busy, or ...?"

"No, of course not, Kurt; come in." As Kurt slipped inside, Xavier closed his book and rested his hands on the desk, his expression carefully neutral. "What is it?"

Kurt shrugged. "Image inducer ... on zhe fritz," he mumbled, quickly dropping the device on the desktop.

"Hmm." With one eye still on Kurt, Xavier picked it up and gave it a cursory examination. "I don't see any signs of malfunction," he noted, offering it to Kurt, who was now shifting in his chair. "Is this why you wanted to see me?"

Kurt took a deep breath. "No; I'm here because ...." he paused, glancing towards the nearby window where his reflection peered back at him. "Because I don't vant it back."

Surprise came rarely to Xavier, but it did come. "Kurt, are you certain ....?"

"It isn't me, Professor." Kurt looked back at Xavier. "I thought it vas zhe best gift I could ever hope for. Then I found myself running off to hide everytime it vent on zhe fritz; sitting in class, vondering vhen it vould drop and blow my cover." He chuckled mirthlessly. "I vore _gloves_ for my dance vith ...." he blinked several times as the name caught in his throat. "And I nearly abandoned everyone when our secret got out, because I could!" He shook his head sharply. "It vas like zhat," he continued, pointing at the inducer, "_zhing_ just became a reminder zhat I vasn't human; zhat I couldn't go out in public vithout ... lying."

Xavier was silent for several seconds as he picked up the device and held it in the air. "Kurt, going public this way means you're more likely to draw the wrong kind of attention; much like the kind you experienced back home." Despite his warning, Xavier's expression remained neutral. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

Kurt just looked at the inducer for several long seconds before pushing it away. "Zhis is who I am," he stated before standing up. "And I'm sick of hiding."

BAMF!

**END**

**Author's note**

A thousand apologies for the unbearably long wait; I won't bore you with any excuses, and I promise to try to shorten the wait time for the next chapter; this was unforgiveable.

Anyway, I'm still interested in thoughts on this story, even though I don't deserve responses. By the way, what Xavier really said to Selene must remain a mystery for now; use your imaginations.

Next up: some old debts can never be repaid, especially when family is involved on both sides.


	11. I O WHO

_**Previously On X Men Evolution**_

"_Yeah, look out below! Boom-Boom's bombin' in!"_

"_Tabitha sure knows how to have a good time," Ororo remarked._

"_She's really somezhing," Kurt said._

"_Just be careful around her," Scott replied._

"_I got a feeling she already knows vhat it's like out zhere," Kurt told Scott._

"_Hey Tabby," Jim Smith smiled. "Been a long search, but I finally tracked you down."_

"_Your mother and I .... we're trying to work things out ...."_

"_You want me to come home and pretend we're a family again!" Tabitha snapped._

"_Once we get things settled and get the creditors off our backs."_

"_That's all I am to you! Someone to do your dirty work!" Tabitha yelled._

_Without a word, Tabitha placed her bomb inside the lock._

"_Freeze! Hands in the air!"_

"_In addition to the charges for coercing you, he's got several outstanding warrants," Xavier told her._

"_I'll just get my stuff and ... be outta your hair," Tabitha mumbled. "It's just .... not a good fit."_

"_I need a place to crash," Tabitha told Lance as she strode past the dumbfounded boys._

"_Lesson number 1: Get out of my room!" Mystique told her._

"_See ya later. **Myst-eeeeeek!**" Tabitha called as the room exploded._

"_AMARA!" Tabitha called as the guns trained on her friend. Without pause, she hurled several bombs at the gate and charged inside._

**[**

**Xavier Institute**

Tabitha hated mornings.

More correctly, she hated being _awake _for mornings. For her, they were times to recover the sleep she usually lost the night before. The idea of getting up, especially when the sun was still rising, apalled her.

Of course, it didn't help that most mornings here were before the sun was even visible. Not to mention she started most of those mornings running through a room dodging blades, guns, walls, and whatever else the overgrown badger and the Prof with his tight necktie came up with.

And it didn't help that, this particular morning, she was being poked through her sheets.

"Cut it out, Amara," she grumbled, curling up. "What part of 'sleeping' don't you understand?"

"The ti-ime," Amara sang, poking her again. "We're already late."

"It's 6 in the morning, girl; there's nothing 'late' about it," Tabitha mumbled, pulling the sheet over her head.

Amara snorted, then crouched next to her roommate's covered head. "Tabitha?" When the blonde didn't answer, she shook her head and continued. "If I don't wake you up now, Logan will." She was rewarded by a groan from Tabitha and the sheet flying toward her, landing on her head and falling around her. "You do that again, and I'm burning the sheets."

"The badger pulls us outta bed again, I'm blowing up his beer stash."

--------------------

It was almost as though Logan had heard her.

"I'm gonna kill him," Tabitha muttered as she limped into the kitchen, fresh off the Danger Room that had seemed to develop a vendetta against her this morning. "I'm gonna – oh."

Her plans of vengeance had fled her mind upon noticing the cabinet where Logan, despite Xavier's protests, had stashed his beer. Quickly looking around, she summoned a small bomb and stuffed it inside the lock. Within seconds, the lock was gone and the door swinging open.

"Ah wouldn't."

Tabitha winced. Caught. "Awww, come on," she moaned, grabbing a beer can and turning to face Sam, who was leaning against the doorway fighting a smile. "Don't be a spoilsport; want one?" She offered him the can, a wicked grin forming.

Sam shook his head. "Ah'll pass; and you'd bettah put it back 'fore Logan wanders in."

Tabitha looked him up and down. "Oh my god; you're turning into Scott Summers before my eyes." Opening the beer can, she took a swig.

"Tabitha ...."

"Sorry, Shades; Guthrie isn't here right now; leave a message," Tabitha joked as she sauntered towards the door. As she passed a dumbstruck Sam, she traced her index finger from his stomach up to his chin. "You'll let me know when he's around?"

Sam blinked as she disappeared through the doorway. He started as he heard a loud sniff from the other entrance. "Where is she?" someone growled.

--------------------

"KID!"

Kitty sighed and rubbed her eyes as Logan's roar reached her. She was _so_ sick of the infirmary. _That's the last time I tangle with that ... witch or whatever_. A sudden headache drove away those thoughts as Tabitha burst in. "Hey, Kat," Tabitha said as she shut the door behind her. "How's the spell? No pun intended."

"Not funny," Kitty moaned as she clapped both hands over her head. "What'd you do this time?"

Tabitha shot her a surprised look. "Me? _I'm_ being hunted here!"

"Yeah, you," Kitty grumbled. "And why are you running _here_?"

Tabitha shrugged. "This is the only place he won't trash, especially since you're in here."

"If I weren't weak as a kitten ...." Kitty snarled.

Tabitha sighed. "Girl, you're no fun when you're sick. Well, see ya!" Before Kitty could open her eyes, she was gone.

--------------------

"You done wit' de hose yet?"

"Vhen I am, I'll let you know. okay?"

"_D'accord. _Would you wake me up, den?"

"You are _not _sleeping off your probation ....!"

"Woah, woah, woah!" Tabitha cried, running into the garage and cutting the bickering short. "Are you guys going to brawl again? 'Cause, if you are, just let me find a seat ..."

"Sorry, Tabitha," Kurt replied coolly, still clutching the running hose. "I don't start brawls anymore."

"I beg to differ," grumbled Remy, currently lounging atop the driver's seat of the X van while fiddling with the controls. "And, as I said to _mon frere effrayant_, dey ain't no cleanin' I can do while de tools remain in his possession."

"So steal them." Tabitha shrugged as Kurt sent a glare her way. "What? It's what he does, isn't it?"

"Don't give him ideas," Kurt muttered.

"Show respect, _homme_," Remy smirked. "I got _ideas _you would never ..... see ....."

The X Van roared to life.

".... comin'."

After checking his pockets and finding the keys he had insisted on holding, Kurt stared at the van. "Vhat did you do?!"

"Yeah, shuffles; I tried that a thousand times." Tabitha inquired, walking over to the X van to peer into the driver's side. "What's your secret?"

Remy grinned and leaned back in the seat. "It be .... a secret. And, thus, must remain .... unknown." A soap-soaked rag flew towards his head in response. Quick as a cat, Remy caught it in midair, only to find his face covered in suds anyway. Now, both Tabitha and Kurt were laughing.

"Why is _he _in _there_?" Scott's voice rang out from the doorway, where he stood giving the three a hard look. "Kurt, you said you'd keep him _out _of the cars."

"I tried! You just can't lock him out of _anyzhing_!"

"Why, _merci_."

"And, while I'm at it, where do think you're taking that van? That you haven't even cleaned yet?"

"Excuse me," Tabitha interrupted, backing towards the garage door. "Only _so _many fearless leader lectures I can take in one day. Bye!"

--------------------

Tabitha's thoughts were back in motion before she had taken ten steps. The morning was still young, and she already found herself hiding from Logan while trying to entertain herself; a tough challenge indeed. Maybe she could sneak up and surprise someone before high-tailing it into town ....

"Ooof!"

Then again, in the Xavier Institute, she got as many surprises as she gave.

Shaking her head free of the daze, she opened her eyes and found herself pinned beneath Roberto Da Costa, the Brazilian ... or was it Puerto Rican? .... hotshot, who was already flashing her his winning smile. "Hi there."

Tabitha just smiled back before lifting a glowing bomb in between their faces. Within seconds, Roberto was several feet away and picking up the nearby frisbee while she helped herself up.

A familiar bark drew both their attentions towards the large dog trotting up. "All right, Rahne," Roberto exclaimed, drawing his arm back as his body began to glow. "See if you can get _this _one!" One mighty swing later, they all watched as it drifted over the edge of the cliffs.

Instead of chasing the frisbee, Rahne just sat down and stared at Roberto. "Well? Go get it!" Rahne just bowed her head and looked up at him, her eyes sorrowful and pleading at the same time. Roberto sighed. "I _hate _it when you do that," he stated as he flared up again and leapt toward the cliffs.

Tabitha turned back towards Rahne, who was already changing back into her human form. "Girl, that was _too_ easy."

The redheaded Scot shrugged. "Works every time."

"Say ...." As something occurred to her, Tabitha threw an arm around Rahne's shoulder. "You think you could .... spare those eyes for Logan?"

Rahne shook her head, giggling. "I'd keep on runnin' Tabitha."

--------------------

And run she did. At least until she caught sight of the Institute's latest project.

"Okay, Bobby, I got it," Jean instructed, her hands splayed, brow furrowed, and attention focused on a small ice sculpture – a griffin, if, against all probability, Tabitha remembered her summer readings. As Tabitha watched, Bobby gestured, crumbling the statue and letting it fall through what seemed to be an invisible hole in midair. "Amara?" As flames sprouted through her uniform, Amara placed her hands where the sculpture had been. Soon, the glowing liquid rock that had earned Amara her codename filled the space Jean had telepathically formed, recreating the griffin Bobby had destroyed earlier. Now, without a word, Bobby placed his own hands above the new sculpture. Immediately, the griffen hardened and lost it's glow, becoming solid rock. Sighing with relief, Jean passed it to the crowd of Jamies with their paintbrushes, most of them already hard at work on other rock sculptures.

"You gotta be kidding." Jean and the others looked up before Tabitha realized the words had escaped her head through her mouth. "Uhh .... what's the deal?"

Sometimes, it seemed like _nothing_ could make Jean mad. "We're making statues for the roof and garden," Jean calmly explained, rubbing her forehead. "Want to give us a hand?"

Her mouth again running independant of her mind, Tabitha laughed before catching herself and swallowing the sound. "Uhhh ... sorry; I think I hear summer _vacation_ ...." she stressed, sending a pointed glare towards Bobby, Amara, and Jamie, ".... calling my name."

And then she was gone again.

"That girl is _impossible_ to thrill," Bobby grumbled, before he noticed the small, glowing bomb sitting next to him.

--------------------

Hank McCoy, in one of his more candid moments, had once compared a bored Tabitha to a substance at critical mass; having too small an outlet for the particles, or, in Tabitha's case, idle time, added, detonation became inevitable. In Tabitha's case, that 'detonation' came in the form of her small bombs appearing where they were not invited, pranks and thefts that would leave her housemates, be they X men or Brotherhood, in a state of fury, or, as Hank described it, 'a general increase in both volume and velocity.'

To someone with enhanced senses, this 'detonation' was especially noticeable.

Which was why, as Tabitha rounded the corner plotting her next move, she found herself face to face with a glaring Laura.

For the first time since practice, Tabitha fell silent and stopped cold, waiting for the violent reaction that had become expected around the Institute.

She should have remembered the daily surprises. "You make a lot of noise," growled Laura, crossing her arms.

Tabitha finally remembered her voice. "Uhh ... hey, Laura," she managed.

"Hello." The flat growl remained.

_I'm still alive, still alive .... _Tabitha reminded herself. "So .... what's up?"

Laura frowned and looked towards the sky. "Up?"

"I mean, what's happening? What's the sitch?" Laura continued to frown. "Uhhh ... sit rep?"

Laura narrowed her eyes, then turned her attention back towards the gate. "There's someone outside the gate."

"Really?" Bored as she was, Tabitha would gladly settle for anything that didn't involve extra chores or lectures. "You sure?" Laura glared. "Right, right; so what's he doing?"

Laura squinted as she looked back toward the distant gate. "Sitting in a vehicle with three others; drinking something; staring at the mansion."

"So?"

Laura glared at Tabitha again. "He's been there all morning."

--------------------

"That one?" Tabitha pointed toward the small, beat up car parked outside the gate. Sure enough, several men sat inside, coffee cups in hand and faces turned toward the gate. As the two girls approached, one of the men opened the door and stepped out onto the street, his gaze still focused toward the gate. Or, rather, someone he could now see behind it.

"We have to ..." Laura trailed off as she noticed changes nearby. A rising heartrate, a slight increase in perspiration, the release of cortisol; all signs of fear, coming from ....

She looked over at Tabitha. The blonde seemed like a different personality all together; her quickened breathe, tensed muscles, and clenched fists ....

Laura looked back at the man outside. Sure enough, his gaze was focused on Tabitha.

"Laura." Tabitha's suddenly cold, shaken voice interrupted Laura's analysis. "Get Logan or the Professor; tell them we have a stalker outside; I'll deal with him."

"I can ...."

"_Now_, Laura," Tabitha hissed, her eyes still ahead. "Please."

_Please_. She had heard that a few times; often from men begging for mercy right before she had ....

Laura shook her head. She was done with that life; maybe this was another test for her new one. "All right." She turned and began to run towards the mansion. Peeking over her shoulder, Laura noticed Tabitha swinging open the gate and walking out toward the car.

_Please. _Her victims had been begging for their lives. What was Tabitha begging for?

--------------------

"Tabby!" Had Tabitha been about a decade younger, the man's wide, friendly smile would have been a welcome sight; she would have greeted him as a member of the family.

Now, knowing who he really was, she stopped several feet away and glared. "What are you doing here, Maurice?"

The smile didn't fade. "Come on, Tab's; is that any way to say hi to an old family fr-?"

"And what part of 'I'm done' and 'leave me alone' did you not digest?" Tabitha spat before turning away.

"The part where it becomes your call." The suddenly cold tone froze Tabitha in mid step.

--------------------

"Who is he?" Logan demanded.

"I don't know." Laura's hands were at her sides, as though waiting for the next attack. "I only know he's been out there all morning."

"And when were ya gonna mention this to anyone?" Logan snarled.

"I wasn't," she replied coolly.

Logan fought the growl that tried to escape his throat; there was no intimidating this girl. "Fine, come with me; we'll see what he wants."

"What about Tabitha?"

Logan snorted in surprise. "Boom? What about her?"

--------------------

"See, as it stands now, we don't owe your family so much as the lint off our laundry," Maurice went on, brushing his expensive jacket. "You're the ones who borrowed what they couldn't pay back." He took a step away from his car. "You're the ones who've been sittin' in our minus column for months now." He shook his head. "We're gettin' real tired of waiting, Tabs; it's just not good busin-"

"You're wasting your time," Tabitha snapped, turning back towards the mansion. Spotting Logan and Laura exiting the mansion, she added, "And you're running low on it at the moment."

--------------------

"What are they saying?" Laura inquired, studying the confrontation as they strode towards it.

"Dunno." Logan's gaze did not leave Tabitha. "Still kinda far ..."

--------------------

"Y'know, I still remember the day your little secret went out on the news," Maurice remarked, leaning back against the car. "It was a hell of a story, with the kiddies on the run, the school going .... _up_." Tabitha stopped and scowled darkly at Maurice. "Seems some secrets never get out without a _bang_."

"You really outta watch that mouth and beat those feet." Tabitha growled, walking back towards Maurice.

"For the life of me, I couldn't imagine how that bald Brit kept it under wraps, what with all the .... bombs under his roof ...."

"I don't see you walking!"

".... him being .... _crippled_, and all ...."

"SHUT UP!" Tabitha's fist now buried itself in Maurice's face.

--------------------

"Damnit," Logan cursed, breaking into a run. This was new even for Tabitha. "Red; need ya at the front gate!"

--------------------

The other men were out of the car know, grabbing at Tabitha before she could drive another punch into Maurice's smirking face. As they dragged her away from the car, her old 'family friend' stood up and approached Tabitha. "You never did learn, Tabby Cat." Pulling something from his jacket pocket, he added, "I'll remind you one more time: You push me, I push back, even if I don't have the greatest ... aim." He reached towards her chest ....

"There a problem here, bub?"

Everyone quickly backed away from Tabitha as they caught sight of the group gathered at the gate: Logan, with unsheathed claws and the scowl the X men knew and feared; the smaller, but no less fearsome Laura; a fully iced-up Bobby, both hands aimed slightly toward the car; a lit up Amara, her immolated face wavering between concern for her friend and anger at the men surrounding her; and Jean, floating above the group with her hands splayed and her expression hard.

Maurice's expression immediately changed. "I'd say there is," he responded in a show of anger. "Your little mutie bitch here ...!"

"Watch yer mouth, bub," Logan warned, raising his claws ever so slightly.

"Don't tell me what to watch!" Maurice sputtered. A con man of the first order, he was playing his part to the hilt. "I can't take a goddamned drive down Greymalkin without one of your mutie kids picking a fight and breaking my face!" He spat blood toward the Institute.

"Tabitha?" Logan interrupted, ignoring the all-too common diatribe. "Get back in the house. _Now._"

For the first time in his memory, Tabitha offered no retort or resistance. Instead, with one last glare at Maurice, she strode through the gate, past the surprised X men, and toward the mansion.

Logan then turned his attention back to the gathered gang and crossed his arms. "So yer sayin' _she_ picked a fight?" He glanced toward the car.

"Did I stutter?!" Maurice glanced over his shoulder and noticed the undamaged car. "She stood in the middle of the road and went off on me as soon as I got out. Ask any of my guys here."

Logan snorted and met Maurice's eyes again. "That's a nice parking job, bub."

--------------------

"Tabitha?" Sam stopped in his tracks as Tabitha strode through the front door, her face tight and eyes lowered. "Are you ...?"

"Not now, Guthrie," she muttered, continuing up the main stairwell. At that moment, Kurt poked his head through the garage door. "Is she okay?"

Sam shrugged helplessly. "Ah dunno; Ah've never seen 'er lahke this."

"Wha's all de fuss?" Remy called. Joining Kurt at the doorway, he added. "Some _femme _hit her time o' month?"

"That ain't funny, Mag-Man," Sam snapped. "An' stop pretendin' you give a damn."

Remy gave Sam a cool stare while strumming cards through his fingers.

Kurt shook his head. "Let's go," he told Sam, springing up the stairs after Tabitha.

--------------------

Locking the door behind her, Tabitha reached inside her shirt and pulled out the note Maurice had slipped her.

The message was short.** ANTONINI'S PIZZERIA, RECEIVING AREA. 9AM SHARP. DON'T BE LATE.**

Tabitha took a shuddering breath and put her hands to her head, which suddenly found itself boxed within a series of realizations.

It was happening again.

3 years since she'd pulled her last job. 3 years since she'd even thought of his name, and what he brought with him. 3 years, she thought she was free of that life.

Now it was back, and already closing in ....

There came a knock at the door. "Tabitha?"

Tabitha yelped and backed away from the door ....

BAMF!

Tabitha screamed and whirled around to face her intruder. "Kurt!!!"

"Woah, woah!" Kurt yelped, raising his hands. "Vhat's vith zhe big production?!" He paused as he realized what she'd called him. "And vhat happened to 'blue'?"

Before she could answer, the door burst open, admitting a concerned-looking Sam.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Tabitha shrieked.

"We ... uhhh .... just wanted to .... see what ...." Sam stammered.

"_GET OUT OF HERE_!!!!"

A shocked silence followed before Amara stepped into the room. "Ookay; you heard her, boys." She grabbed Sam's elbow and began dragging him towards the hallway. "Ladies only .... thank you, there's a good old boy ...." She looked at Kurt. "You too, Kurt, before one of us blackens your fur." Kurt looked at a wild-eyed Tabitha and remembered he had another car to wash.

As the furry demon teleported out of the room, Amara shoved the damaged door shut as best she could, then turned around to find her friend slumped against the far wall, her head in her hands and her breathing shallow. "Tabitha?" When the blonde didn't answer, she tried again. "You really drew a crowd this time."

Something approaching a chuckle escaped Tabitha before she looked up at Amara. "They still there?"

Amara glanced through the doorway. "Uh-huh."

"God." Tabitha's eyes returned to her hands.

Amara sat opposite Tabitha. "So what _is _going on?"

"For starters, my housemates are following me into my room and giving me the third degree," Tabitha muttered.

Amara sighed. "What about that guy out there?"

"What about him?"

"Did you know him?" Tabitha looked at her knees. "Did he know _you_?" Tabitha continued her silent scrutiny. "Tabitha, whatever it's about, you know I can keep a secret."

Tabitha let out a slow breath and finally looked up at Amara. "I need to go into town."

--------------------

"Tabitha?" Jean called, knocking on her door, still sporting the Sam-sized dent.

"Listen, kid, we gotta talk," Logan growled. "And it ain't about the beer."

When no response came, Logan sighed and pushed at the door with his foot.

An empty room greeted them.

"I thought they were in here," Scott said. Suddenly, they heard the screach of tires outside.

Logan slapped a palm against his forehead. "We need locks on the doors!"

**[**

**Downtown Bayville – After 9 AM**

"So?" Amara looked expectantly at Tabitha as the blonde carefully parked the X Van on the side of the quiet street. "You going to tell me why we stole the X Van and parked here?"

Tabitha leaned back in her seat without looking at Amara. Sighing, she looked out the window and spoke quietly. "I need you to wait here."

"Why?"

Tabitha checked her watch, then shoved the door open. "10 minutes, Amara."

"Tabitha ....!" Ignoring her, the blonde jumped out and shut the door behind her. Uttering a rare curse under her breath, Amara pushed her way out the passenger door.

Tabitha had barely travelled a few feet before she found her way blocked by an angry-looking Amara. "What's _with _you, Tabitha?" she demanded. "Everytime something doesn't fit right, you run off and hide?" When Tabitha tried to circle around her, Amara sidestepped into her path. "When did you stop trusting us? I thought we were friends!"

Keeping her eyes off her friend, Tabitha replied. "I'm in trouble, Amara; the kind none of you need right now."

"What kind of trouble? We can-"

"_I don't want your help!_" Tabitha snapped

Silence descended between the two friends as her words sunk home. Amara, her face caught in a rare scowl, shook her head. "Take a bus back, Tabitha."

"Amara ...."

"Don't." Amara turned her back on Tabitha and climbed into the X Van

Hurt, Tabitha bowed her head and turned away.

Amara glanced into the rearview mirror in time to catch Tabitha as she walked slowly down the street. Her hand paused on its way to the keys.

--------------------

_Why did I even remember this number?_ Tabitha asked herself as she slowly punched numbers into the phone. It took a few minutes waiting, but, in the end,Tabitha found herself on the phone with someone whose voice she'd hoped to never hear again.

"Tabby!" she heard her father say, surprisingly cheerful despite his imprisonment. "About time I heard from my daughter! What took you ...?"

"Save it," she snapped. "What have you gotten us into now?"

--------------------

_Why am I doing this?_

Amara shook her head as she moved to start the X Van. Tabitha had never run out on her; even when lodging with the Brotherhood, she had hurried to warn them of Mystique's return and ended up pulling Amara out of the hostile Institute.

And now, here she was, about to run out on Tabitha just for keeping her out of the loop.

_It's her own fault_, she reminded herself. _She's the one running out on us._

_But it's not like her; not when it meant trouble for us! _another part of her countered. _What if she's the one in trouble?_

_She should have asked .... oh no._

Amara's thoughts took a rapid turn as she noticed the crowd of men filing out of a nearby building.

--------------------

"So it's me again, is it?" The cheerful tone was already gone. "That how it is? You run into trouble, and point the finger at me?"

Tabitha scowled into the receiver. "It was you who dragged Mom and I along while you dodged those _creditors_. _You _were the one who had me cleaning out banks and parking meters to pay off _your_ little IOUs."

"I was _trying_ to take care of us ...."

"Bravo," Tabitha sneered. "Look, I didn't call to listen to the same old stories and excuses,"

It seemed he had lost interest already. "Then why did you call?"

--------------------

_HIM again?!_

Amara held her breath and slouched in her seat as she watched the gang gather in the middle of the street; one of them the talker who had hung out at their gate that same morning.

"You sure she went this way?" the gate man asked.

"Positive," another replied. "What you want to do with her?"

The gate man shrugged. "I'll figure something out."

--------------------

"You still want to take care of us?" Without waiting for an answer, she continued. "Then call off your old buddy Maurice."

"Maurice? How'd he get into this? And how am I supposed to 'call him off', anyway?"

"I don't care how. Call in a favour; wave his dirty laundry around; pay off your own debts for once! I just want him gone!"

--------------------

"Okay; let's go."

As the men filed down the street Tabitha had left through, Amara gritted her teeth and quietly pushed the door open. _Tabitha, you're going to owe me big._

Her mind on her friend and the men heading for her, she took no notice of the ones on the other side of the street.

--------------------

"Just what kinda pull do you think I got?" her father demanded. "I'm alone in here Tabby. I got nothin' on anybody; no crew, no money, no influence."

"Boo-freakin'-hoo," Tabitha snarled. "So you're no good to _anybody _now, are you? Isn't that familiar?"

--------------------

"Uh, excuse me?" The men stopped in their tracks and turned to face the young, dark-skinned girl that had joined them in the side street. "Is this the way to the, uhhhh .... Bayville Bank?"

The men looked at each other, then Maurice stepped toward Amara. "Ain't you a little young to be roaming the streets by yourself?"

"I can take care of myself," Amara replied smartly.

"With what? Your fireballs?" To Amara's surprised look, he added. "I don't forget faces."

"Then you know how we handle trouble," she taunted, lighting up her hands.

--------------------

"You calling to make fun now?" her father asked angrily.

"That depends," Tabitha retorted. "Can you do anything or not?"

Her father was silent.

--------------------

Maurice snapped his fingers and his men began moving to surround Amara.

They were stopped in their tracks when parts of the pavement began to heat up. "You _really _don't want to do this," she warned.

--------------------

"Sorry, Tabby," he finally replied. "I've used up all my favours with Maurice."

"_You're kidding!_"

--------------------

Though his men were looking frightened at the prospect of a fight with a mutant, Maurice smiled calmly. "Don't worry about it," he assured. "She's an X-woman; she won't go burning down civilians out in public,"

"You know, you're right." Amara aimed a fireball towards Maurice. "It all depends on whether _you _start something."

--------------------

"Who do you think got me this phone?" he demanded. "Who do you think picked out my cell; not to mention my cell_mate_? Who do you think has allowed me to live in his red column, against his old man's advice, _these past three years_?!"

"Took good care of _you_, didn't he?"

--------------------

"Nah; you got me all wrong," Maurice laughed. "I never _start_ anything." He then looked directly at Amara. "At least not without finishing it."

The blow came without warning, crashing into the back of Amara's head. Crying out as it knocked her to the pavement, Amara pulled herself to her hands and knees in time to receive another across her shoulders.

--------------------

"What's he want from you, anyway?"

"It doesn't matter," Tabitha snapped. "I don't work for him."

--------------------

Amara gritted her teeth and tried to call forth her powers, even as her back continued to scream its pain and the world before her eyes continued to spin. Faint voices reached.

"All ..... should do ...."

"Let's ..... want her .... see ...."

--------------------

"That's a bad move, Tabby," he warned. "Whatever he wants from you, I suggest you get it to him."

Though the focus of her dark thoughts was miles way, Tabitha scowled darkly at the phone. "You're just _full_ of surprises," she muttered sarcastically before shoving the phone back onto the receiver.

"How is he?"

Tabitha hissed as she spun toward the voice behind her. "No," she snapped. "And leave your boy-toys at home next time," she added, nodding towards the crowd of men gathering behind Maurice.

Maurice smiled easily. "Sorry about that; we just don't like to be kept waiting."

"Then don't." Tabitha glared at Maurice. "I'm not coming; find some other sucker."

"Tabitha," Maurice shook his head. "This'll be your last chance to clear your father's debts and wipe the slate clean." Tabitha snorted and turned away from Maurice. "I know you can walk out on me. His face hardened. "You proven that already, but can you walk out on him?" he called.

Tabitha stopped for several seconds, then turned to look at the payphone. When she met Maurice's eyes again, hers had gone hard. "You don't follow, do you?" she asked softly. "He already walked out on us. Kinda like this." She turned her back on Maurice and headed toward the other end of the street.

"That go for your housemate here too?"

Tabitha froze as she heard the sounds of dragging behind her. _No, no, no _..... she prayed as she slowly turned around.

Her blood turned colder than Bobby's skin as she spotted one of the men dragging an unconscious Amara into view. "You son of a ....!"

"Now, now," Maurice coaxed, grabbing Tabitha as she tried to run past him. "Let's not make any dumb m – OOFFFF!!!!" he grunted as Tabitha's knee drove into his groin. "Al!"

The man holding Amara nodded firmly, then dropped Amara none too gently to the pavement.

"AMARA!" Tabitha yelled before she ran into one of the men surrounding her. Before he could wrap his arms around her, Tabitha swung her elbow, catching him across the jaw. As another man grabbed her arm, she instinctively drove her foot into his knee. In the next instant, another had an arm around her neck. Snarling, she jabbed her fingers into his eyes, seconds before another swung his club into her gut. Gasping in pain, she straightened herself and backhanded her attacker across the face, only to find her arm caught by another man. Then another grabbed her other arm. Then others joined in ....

Maurice finally straightened himself and limped over to where the crowd of men struggled to restrain Tabitha. "_Sorca!_" swore one of them, rubbing his bleeding eyes. "That cat's a tiger ...!" Maurice's slap cut him off. "Only one Tiger here, _Amico_."

He then positioned himself in between Tabitha and Amara without blocking the former's view of her unconscious friend. "So what's it going to be, Tabitha?" The blonde just glared hatefully at Maurice, who nodded and strode over to Amara. Within the blink of an eye, he had drawn a small knife and drew a long cut across her leg.

Despite the arm wrapped around her throat and each of her limbs, Tabitha snarled and lunged forward as the blood began to flow. The men grunted and doubled their efforts.

Maurice, apparently unconcerned, took a rag from his pocket and wiped the blood off the knife. "That was a flesh wound, Tabitha. The longer you keep us waiting, the deeper they're gonna become." He looked coolly at Tabitha. "I'd hate to end up hitting a vein or vital organ."

Tabitha grunted something unintelligible.

Maurice nodded towards his men. With visible relief, they released Tabitha, who immediately ran and knelt next to Amara. As she snatched the bloody rag from his hands and worked furiously to tie it around the wound, he bent at the waist until his face was even with Tabitha's. "I didn't catch your answer."

Tabitha finally looked up from her unconscious, bleeding friend. "One condition."

**[**

**Xavier Institute**

The phone rang.

"I'll get it," Kurt told a moaning Kitty, and hopped over to the phone. "_Guten tag, _Xavier Institute, zhis is ..."

"Kurt?"

"Tabitha?" Kurt straightened up as he heard Tabitha's panicked voice. "Vhere have you been? Zhe Professor ...."

"Listen, Kurt," Tabitha interrupted. "Can you meet me just outside the gate right now?"

"You _know_ I'm still on probation ..."

"_Please_, Kurt."

Kurt frowned. Tabitha had not sounded this panicked in years. "Vhat's going on?"

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Amara's hurt."

"Vhat?" Kurt bounded toward the window. "Vhat happened? Vhy can't you bring her ....?!"

" _Kurt, are you gonna help me or play twenty fucking questions_?!" she screamed.

Kurt recoiled. "All right, vait outside zhe gate."

--------------------

"Vhat happened to her?" Kurt gasped as Tabitha dragged a battered, bleeding Amara before the gate.

Tabitha grunted as she pulled Amara within Kurt's reach. "Can you get her to the infirmary?"

"_Ja_," he replied, taking Amara in his arms. He looked up in time to see Tabitha backing away. "Tabitha? Vhere are you going?"

Tabitha glanced to her right at something Kurt could not see. "I .... gotta go," she mumbled.

"Go vhere?" he demanded. "Vhy are you avoiding us now?"

Tabitha looked down the street again, then shook her head sharply. "Look, if the Prof asks, just tell him I had a family emergency, okay?"

"I thought ve vere your family!" Kurt yelled as she began running down the street.

"That's the emergency!"

**[**

**Downtown Bayville: Antonini's Pizzeria – 30 Minutes Later**

"Cell phone," one of her two escorts demanded.

"Sorry; you're not my type," Tabitha replied snarkily. Without another word, he grabbed her wrist, reached into her pocket, and snatched the phone.

"Security reasons, Tabs," Maurice explained as they strode through the door. "Remember this place?"

Tabitha took a look around.

It seemed like a century since she had finally stopped coming here with her dad, all the times he couldn't afford a babysitter while her mom was working. Surprisingly, it had changed little: the ground still maintained its dark red color, with the drain in the middle. Today was obviously the chefs' day off, as the kitchen's ovens were cold and the burners silent, clean of whatever had been 'cooked' on them. Down the hall ahead of her was the large doors leading to the freezers where they kept 'supplies'. On the wall to her left was the large receiving doors, where they took out their 'trash.' Officially, a perfectly 'legitimate' business, according to the law. Of course, being the nosy child she had been, it had taken her under a month to find out what they did that _didn't_ become official.

Finally, she looked at the group of suited men gathered around the tables that had been pulled into the receiving area. Usually, when she'd accompanied her father, the men have given her a quick once-over, perhaps the occasional greeting, before ordering her to wait outside while they discussed their 'business'.

Now, her father was far away, and the men were all staring at her, looking expectant for some reason.

She crossed her arms, leaned back against the wall near the doorjamb, and glared back. "So? Anyone going to say something, or do I have to read someone's mind?"

Maurice discreetly shrugged toward his bosses, then extended his hand toward Tabitha. "We got a seat saved for you, Tabs."

"I like it where I am," she replied. Which was, of course, close to the exit withe her back against a wall.

"Have a seat, Tabitha." The smile was gone, and his other hand now rested inside his jacket pocket.

Tabitha took another look around, then slowly crossed the room to the table, her mind on the two larger men behind her. As she sat down, she folded her hands together and placed them on the table, her narrowed eyes darting among the guests. "So?" she demanded. "If we're going to sit and stare at each other, let me just say I'm _not _enjoying the view; next time, bring some guys under thirty for me."

Several of the older men started then looked down at the table. One of them, a balding sixtysomething with an Armani suit and a permanent scowl turned his attention toward Maurice. "_Dovreste_ _insegnare al suo rispetto, Maurice_."

Maurice shrugged. "_Al e ho cercato per anni; che la ragazza non rispetta nessuno._"

"_Si puo controllare il suo ou no?_"

"_Ti to detto che poteva; Che non è cambiato ..._"

"Excuuse me," Tabitha interrupted. "English, please? My Pig Latin's is a bit rusty."

Scowl glowered at Tabitha.

"Tabitha, these are not the people you run off at the mouth around," Maurice whispered. "Show respect, or ..."

"Shut up, Pussy Cat," Tabitha snapped. Pushing her chair back, she stood up, narrowly missing Maurice's chin. "I wasn't invited here; I was dragged. Somebody want to tell me why so we can get this over with and get you out of my life?"

A long silence followed, during which the men at the table continued to stare while the men on the floor tensed up, fingers drifting towards their weapons. Tabitha herself continued to glare at Scowl while Maurice hovered behind her.

The silence broke when Scowl did something that surprised everyone else in the room.

He began to chuckle. "I like her," he said in perfect English.

"Yeah, thanks, but sorry, Pops," Tabitha retorted. "I don't do older guys."

Everyone else in the room froze while Scowl continued laughing. "Maurice?" he finally called. Still in shock, Maurice stood up straighter. "Explain to her."

Maurice nodded. "_Grazie_." Circling around the table to join Scowl at his spot, Maurice turned to face Tabitha. "You should have figured the short of it by now, Tabitha: your father owes us money that he's been neglecting to pay for months now. And you know what happens to those who stay too long in the red."

Tabitha nodded slowly, her expression dark. "Yeah, I know."

"You should know that I've pulled for your father as many times as I could; nobody else has stayed in his column this long, considering what he owes."

"Where's this going?" Tabitha glared at Maurice. "If you want money, you're wasting time; I don't have any, and my Prof wouldn't loan his ties to any of you. No offence."

"See, that's the problem," Maurice explained. "Your whole extended family couldn't scrape up enough to pay what Jim owes. And my bosses here," he added, indicating the men sitting silently at the table, "aren't interested in robbing Bayville and raising the heat to pay off anyone's debt."

"Ohhhhh," Tabitha leaned back in her chair. "You want me to do _your _dirty work for you, now."

Maurice shrugged. "That was the first idea." He leaned on the table. "_But_, there so happens to be a new market out there; a low-risk, legit information transfer business with huge potential."

"Is this turning into a lecture?" Tabitha yawned. "What is this market, anyway?"

"Like I said: information, which a lot of people are willing to pay for."

"Like _I _said: information on what?"

Maurice smiled. "On mutants."

**[**

**Xavier Institute **

"Will she be all right?" Jean asked as she, along with Kurt, Sam, Scott, Kitty, Rogue, and Xavier, watched Hank tend to Amara.

Hank sighed and straightened up. "Well, she certainly took _quite _the beating. Thankfully, the damage is all superficial; she should be all right after a few hours' rest."

"We know who did this?" Scott asked.

"Another bigot," Rogue snapped. Her own experiences in Kentucky were still fresh in her mind. "Why do we gotta play nice with _those_ people?"

"Because we're _better_ than them, Rogue," Jean chided, drawing a glare from the southerner.

"This hardly looks like a hate crime, anyway," Xavier cut in, rolling towards Amara. "It's too ... deliberate; almost calculated ...." He looked over his shoulder. "Kurt, are you sure Tabitha gave no indication ...?"

"_Nein_." Kurt shook his head. "But she looked scared; zhey must be bad news."

"Unless she was scared of us." Scott suggested.

"She should be," Rogue muttered.

"Will you quit it, Rogue?" Sam snapped.

"Ahem," Hank put in.

"Me?!" Quitting wasn't Rogue's style. "Will no one else say it? That girl owes us answers, and she's off hiding who knows where ...!"

"None of us know _why_ she's hiding ...." interrupted Scott, his voice rising.

"Enough! Both of you!" Xavier interrupted. When everyone finally quieted down, he spoke more softly. "Judgment can wait; we have more immediate issues to address, starting with the students' safety. For now, all off-campus outings will have to be scheduled in pairs until the criminals are found."

"Great. So she gets everyone else grounded." Rogue snorted and stalked out of the room.

"Rogue's got a point, Professor," Scott put in, crossing his arms. "What are we going to do about Tabitha?"

"We will discuss this with her when she returns."

**[**

**Antonini's Pizzeria**

"Are you _insane_?!"

"Not what I'd call it," Maurice deadpanned. "There's some large figures floatin' around for anyone who can track down a live mutant. Trouble is, most of 'em have gone to ground; and if someone actually finds one, the mutant usually gets spooked and bolts, leaving us back at square one."

"Good for them," Tabitha retorted. "You're still wasting time, though; I don't know where any of 'em are."

"Didn't think so." Maurice glanced at Scowl, then folded his hands behind his back. "But your Professor does."

Tabitha said nothing, but her eyes widened and her breath hissed past her teeth.

"See, there's a few ex-government employees on the street trading stories; one of 'em about some .... mutant detecting gizmo your Professor keeps in his little mansion." His gaze did not leave Tabitha. "A mansion you happen to live in."

"No, no, no, no, no." Tabitha shook her head as she got up and and backed away from the table. "No way; not going to happen; forget it."

"Come on, Tabs," Maurice coaxed, standing up from his own chair. "One quick, easy grab, your family debt gets wiped clean," He slapped his palms together. "Fresh start, and everybody wins."

"What about the people on the list?" Tabitha demanded. "Who are you selling them to, anyway?"

"A middleman with money," Maurice replied. "What do I look like: a detective?"

Tabitha looked at Maurice as though meeting him for the first time, then shook her head in disgust. "You really dug low this time, Tiger. And I'm not coming down with you."

As she turned to leave, she found herself staring at her escorts drawn guns. "No leave yet," one of them ordered.

"You really oughta reconsider, Tabitha," Maurice said. "See, I promised these gentleman a resolution, one way or another. Either the debt gets cleared, or the debtor gets cancelled." Circling around the table toward Tabitha, he added, "I'd hate to have to call your dad's cellmate."

For several long seconds, Tabitha glared hatefully at Maurice. "He's all yours," she finally snapped and turned back toward the doors, bringing her hands together. "Excuse me."

"Maybe you don't understand, Tabitha." Maurice was directly behind her now. "We didn't bring you here to ask your permission."

"Who's gonna stop me?" Tabitha whirled to face Maurice, opening her folded hands.

In them lay a glowing ball, still expanding in size.

Amidst a string of Italian curses, Scowl and the other 'gentlemen' leapt up from their chairs and backed away from Tabitha. A shocked Maurice, along with her escorts, quickly joined them, their guns now aimed toward Tabitha's head.

Tabitha smirked at them and began balancing the large bomb on one hand. "So? Anyone want me to drop this?"

The gentlemen glanced at one another, babbling in Italian. Scowl, by contrast, kept his cold gaze on Tabitha while whispering in Maurice's ear.

Maurice finally sighed. "OK, you win this round, Tabs." Crouching down, he took something from his pocket and slid it over to her. "Here's your phone back."

Her eyes still on the group, Tabitha crouched to pick up the device, then pocketed it and reached for the door.

"This is still gonna happen, Tabs," Maurice called. "It's up to you how hard we have to push."

Tabitha's expression tightened. "I wish you didn't go and say that."

In one swift motion, Tabitha hurled the large bomb into the air towards the group. As the men broke into a run in the opposite direction, Tabitha bolted through the door.

Hearing the explosion behind her, Tabitha finally allowed her breathing to quicken and her lips to tighten into a slight smile as she thought over what she'd managed.

It was over.

With any luck, Maurice and his Godfather-wannabe bosses would be blown away, never to pick on Tabitha or her friends again. And, unless their group had changed radically since she'd forgotten about them, the remnants would be too busy sorting out who was in charge to worry about old debts or retaliation.

She was free.

--------------------

Inside the crumbling building, Maurice Antonini wiped the blood from his face as he pulled himself up. _That mutie bitch!_ he seethed.

He looked around. His men had taken the brunt of the blast. _Good men._

As far as he could see, all of his father's lieutenants were buried under rubble. _Good riddance._

Finally, he steeled himself to look at his father, still scowling even as he grunted in pain from the debris lodged atop his chest.

"Maurice?" he gasped.

"It's okay, Pops," Maurice replied, kneeling next to his prone father. "I'll handle everything. This will get done ...."

"This .... never .... should have .... started!" Mario Antonini wheezed. "I ..... told we .... shouldn't .... go down this road ...."

Maurice shrugged. "It's the future, Pops." Even blinded by tears, Maurice was not too blind to see the opportunity before him.

Mario shook his head. "I'm disappointed, Maurice," he whispered. "I'll see you soon .... I think ...."

His face tightening, Maurice stood up and walked away, leaving his dying father behind.

He had a story to tell; an empire to inherit and direct.

But, for the moment, he had his own, more immediate business.

**[**

**Xavier Institute**

At some point during the long bus ride back, Tabitha's elation had given way to horror at what she'd done.

_We do not engage in the wilful or negligent taking of human life_. She could almost hear the Professor say that to her; only partly because he had, when he had welcomed her back to the team. Back to her friends, to ....

Tabitha almost gasped at the thought. _To the geeks annd heroes that became my family._

And now, even if Maurice was gone, she had thrown it all away trying to protect them.

As though following her train of thoughts, the Greymalkin bus stop slid into to view. Sucking in another deep breath, Tabitha pulled herself up and dragged herself to the exit. Time to face the music.

--------------------

There was one stop she had to make first.

"Tabitha?" Sam looked up as the blonde wandered into view. "I was startin to think ya flew the coop again."

Tabitha smiled tightly. "Hey, Sam," she replied in a flat tone no one in the Institute had heard from her. Her eyes fixed themselves on the infirmary door Sam had parked himself outside of. "How is she?" she asked quietly.

Sam glanced at the door. "Uhhh ... okay, so Ah heard; Mr. McCoy's checkin' her now." He returned to studying Tabitha's face. "And you?"

If anything, Tabitha's expression darkened. "What about me?"

Sam sighed. "Seriously, Tabs." Hearing no answer, he went on. "You've been freakin' out ever since those boys dropped by this mornin'; then you disappear into town, drop Amara in the infirmary, and disappear again fer the whole mornin' and afternoon." Tabitha just crossed her arms and looked away from Sam. "What's goin' on?"

Tabitha turned her gaze toward her feet as she spoke. "I .... had some personal ... baggage I had to take care of."

Sam stared. "Baggage." He blinked several times before continuing. "Ya got all worked up over suitcases?"

"You ask me again, Guthrie, and I'm going to have to lie to you," Tabitha blurted out before finally looking at Sam, who started when he noticed her eyes brimmed with tears. "Don't make me, okay?"

Before Sam could begin to think of a response, the infirmary door swung open. "You're doing great," Hank encouraged as he and Rogue supported a still-woozy Kitty. "In fact, I just might have to release you."

"As long as I can sleep somewhere .... oh, hey Tabitha," the brunette said surprisingly bright. "How's it ....?"

"What's she doin' here?" demanded a suddenly tense Rogue, who was now glaring at Tabitha.

Taken off-guard by Rogue's hostility, Tabitha was, for once, slow to respond. "She's here to see Amara," she heard Sam cut in.

Rogue snorted. "Ah thought ya were a little .... _busy _fer that. Ya sure were this mornin'."

"Rogue ...." Hank tried to warn.

"So who were these new buddies o' yours, anyway?" Rogue continued. "An', while Ah'm at it, who they comin' fer next? You know, in case you actually gave a ...."

"Hey Rogue! Why don' you ....!"

"Don't bother, Sam," Tabitha interrupted, putting a hand on his shoulder. She then faced Rogue. "They weren't my buddies," she added sullenly, before turning around and walking away from the group. After shooting his own glare at Rogue, Sam turned and hurried after her.

"_So_ not cool, Rogue," Kitty mumbled.

--------------------

"Tabitha!" Sam yelled as he pursued the blonde down the hall. "Will you wait up?!"

Tabitha finally turned to face him. "What?"

Sam blanched at the sight: it was as though Tabitha's face had lost the energy needed to form expressions, and had thus taken on a dull, lifeless look. Quickly, Sam worked to recover his thoughts. "Is Tabitha around? I'd like to talk to her."

Her face did not even twitch. "What do you want, Sam? She's right here."

"Really?" Placing his hands on his hips, Sam opted for the stern expression he'd developed while leading the new team. "Haven't seen her since this mornin'; what happened to her?"

Tabitha just bowed her head. What could she say? _Oh, nothing much, Guthrie; just got one of my friends mixed up with my old pal and his pals, landed her in the infirmary, and then put my old pals in the morgue. Just another day,' _she thought bitterly.

"Tabitha, how many ways do we gotta ask what's goin' on?" Sam persisted.

Tabitha huffed. "Is anyone here allowed any privacy?"

"Whatever it is, we can help ...."

"No." Tabitha cut in, her face tightening. "Don't."

"Why not?"

The song 'Walking on the Wild Side' erupted from Tabitha's pocket, cutting into the conversation. With a quickness that belied her apparent lack of energy, Tabitha reached into her pocket and spun away from Sam while pressing the phone to her ear. "Yeah?" Sam let out a sigh as she listened to the caller. "Okay, Mom, give me a second." Covering the receiver with her free hand, Tabitha looked expectantly at Sam.

"Okay, I know," Sam said, holding up his hands. "Ya wanna be left alone. _Again_."

As Sam finally walked out of sight, Tabitha quickly pushed her way into the nearby ladies washroom. "Mom? What's the sitch?"

"Hey, Tabby."

Tabitha froze as the all-too familiar voice reached her ears. "Hey, Tiger," she managed.

"You sound surprised," Maurice went on. "You know, this is why you never got recruited, despite your 'talents.' You never had the stomach to make sure to finish the job."

"My bad," she replied coolly, despite the sense of panic building in her. "What do you want?"

"I already told you this morning."

"And I told you no, remember?"

"Yeah, well," he replied nonchalantly. "I got something to add." A loud smack, and a cry of pain, filled the phone.

Tabitha lunged toward the wall as she recognized her mother's voice. "_You son of a ....!_"

"Easy, Tabitha," he snapped. "No need to make a scene; now, when can I expect the stuff?"

"Forget it," she growled, her voice shaking. "I never gave your sorry butt up; why would I start with them?"

"Well ...."

At the other end of the phone, her mother screamed in pain again.

"_STOP IT!!!_"

"I hate to repeat myself, Tabitha," Maurice opined. "It takes up too much time, and I got a lot to do, so here are the rules: you bring one disc of the mutants names and locations to our old playground – you know what I mean – around midnight tonight. Can you repeat all that?"

"Yeah, right," Tabitha said sarcastically.

"Oh, and I almost forgot: you stiff us, or go Demolition girl again, we'll be making a call to your dad's cellmate _and _your mother's new sitter. Same goes for you telling the police _or _the X men about the arrangement."

"You think you'd see them coming?" Tabitha sneered.

"Maybe not; but I'd hear you spread the word." Something clicked in the background. "Listen closely."

To Tabitha's shock, she heard Sam's voice. "**Seriously, Tabs. You've been freakin' out ever since those boys dropped by this mornin'; then you disappear into town, drop Amara in the infirmary, and disappear again until dinner. What's goin' on?**"

Her own voice replied. "**I .... had some personal ... baggage I had to take care of.**"

"**Baggage.**"

Maurice's voice returned. "Feds tried to tap us, so we started makin' use of their equipment." His voice grew an edge. "You see now, Tabitha? You fucked us over once, so we're not taking chances. You breathe a word, we'll know, and well make the call." After a pause, he added. "And, if you mess with the device, we'll make the call then."

"Goddamn you ....!"

"Don't give me the high horse; it doesn't suit you. Now, I'm gonna ask you one more time: when do I get those Xavier files?"

Tabitha took a shuddering breath. "Tonight .... midnight ..... at the .... 'playground .... '" she mumbled.

"That's more like it; see you then?"

"Oh, I'll see you," Tabitha growled in a voice she barely recognized. As the dialtone began, she added, "And I'll make sure I finish the job this time."

Only when she snapped the phone shut did she allow the tears to flow.

--------------------

"Tabitha?" Jean called, knocking on the washroom door. "Are you in there?" She suddenly winced as a sense of anguish reinforced by fear hit her. "Tabitha? Are you okay?"

"I'm PMSing; leave me alone," Tabitha grumbled.

Jean frowned; she had sensed others during the painful points of their periods; it had been nothing like what she was sensing here. Maybe if she .....

_No_, she reminded herself. She was _not_ going to waltz into anyone's mind again. Once had been enough.

"Well, the afternoon session's starting soon ...."

"I'll be there."

--------------------

After a grueling Danger Room session, which everyone noticed Tabitha attacking with a yet-unseen vengeance, everyone staggered back to their rooms, hoping for a quiet dinner.

They weren't disappointed.

During the meal, Tabitha claimed a seat a one corner of the table and proceeded to eat in silence while the rest of the X men, in between curious glances she did not return, spoke of the days sessions, the recent news on mutant rights, the latest gossip .... anything that didn't relate to the days event that stayed fresh on their minds.

Part of Tabitha wanted to scream at them. Did they not see the empty chair that would have been occupied by someone still sleeping in the infirmary? Had they forgotten that she'd been AWOL the whole day ..... ??!!

_Shut up_, she reminded herself, stabbing the ham slice and furiously cutting into it. The attention was something she did _not _need right now, given what she was going to do to them.

Before she realized it, her plate was empty. Looking around she realized that the others were still well into their first helping. Feeling her gut clench, Tabitha took her plate and stood up. "May I be excused?" she asked quietly.

Xavier blinked and took another look at Tabitha. "Of .... course," he replied, wondering if Mystique had taken Tabitha's form.

--------------------

"It is your night, comrade."

"Dishes. _Pah_."

"Everyone takes a turn ..."

"_Je sais_, and we all spread de gospel o' peace, love an' understanding fo' all de bigots and ...."

Piotr chuckled. "Comrade, it is dish duty; zhink of it as .... cleaning up zhe scene, as you call it."

"_Quoi vous parlez? _Besides," Remy added as they entered the kitchen. "Dese dishes ain't worth stealin' anyway, so ...." he trailed off as he noticed the unusually quiet blonde already at the sink, her hands moving slowly through the sudsy water.

Tabitha looked up and quickly pulled her hands out of the sink. "Oh, hey," she stammered. "It's not my turn, is it?"

"Errrr .... no," Piotr replied, staring at Tabitha. "Your turn was last night."

"Oh. My bad." Tabitha shook her hands and backed away from the sink. "It's all yours."

"Well, far be it from me to cut into a _femme's _work .... hey!" Remy exclaimed as Piotr shoved him toward the sink.

"I zhink not, comrade," Piotr smiled. "Everyone ..."

"I know, I know; _dieu_," Remy grumbled as he rolled up his sleeves. "Say _au revoir_ to yo' paintbrushes," he grumbled.

"You mumble too often, comrade," Piotr spoke up as joined Remy at the dry rack, towel in hand.

"Kinda de point."

Tabitha almost smiled as she watched the two banter. Besides the free beds and meals, this was what kept drawing her back to this place; or at least it's people. Whatever leashes the Professor and other instructors had tried to tie around them, the students had always found ways to sneak through and let loose; often in the form of full-blown firefights that had dominated her early days at the institute. Thankfully, none of _them_ had destroyed the building, or left any long-lasting injuries. Not the way she was about to.

"Hey, can I ask you guys something?" she found herself blurting out.

"Is it my bank number?" Remy asked without turning around. "Ow!"

"Of course you can," Piotr replied, returning his open hand from the back of Remy's head to his own side.

"Well ...." Tabitha looked at her own hands. "When you were with the bucket head ...." Both men's faces fell, and their hands slowed. "Did he ever try to make you do something .... you know .... you didn't want to do?"

"He made me work for him," Piotr replied. "I think that qualifies."

"You couldn't .... take him out or run and hide?"

"My fondest wish," Piotr muttered.

"But ol' Mags was not someone you could say no to wit'out inviting a world o' hurt," Remy added.

"Oh; sorry I asked."

"_Nyet_; it is not problem," Placing the towel on the nearby counter and leaning on it, he went on. "Magneto gave me a choice: I either work and fight for his cause, or I don't see family again."

Tabitha snorted. "No real choice there, huh?"

"Oh, dere always be choices wit' Mags," Remy replied. "He was like some o' de dealers in de Bright-Light city: stack de deck, pick de hands he sends your way, and make you 'choose' how you deal wit' dem." After a particularly vicious scrub of the dish in his hands, he handed it to a grim-looking Piotr and added. "Dey just didn' seem much like choices to us."

"Why didn't you get out of the game?" Tabitha asked.

"I did," Remy replied. "Once he was outta de picture, and I could deal m'own hands."

"That easy, huh?" Tabitha looked down at her hands.

"Not what we called it." Passing another dish to Piotr, Remy turned to face Tabitha. "Why de sudden interest in ancient history?"

Tabitha shrugged, her hands clasped together and eyes still cast downward. "Just ... passing the time ... looking for kicks ...."

Remy and Piotr glanced at one another. "So: Got any stories fo' us?" Remy asked.

"Tabitha?" Kurt popped into the middle of the room, starting everyone in the room.

"I'll never get used to dat," Remy grumbled.

"What's up, blue?" asked a relieved Tabitha.

"Professor's looking for you; he vants you in his office."

"Fine; but I'm walking."

--------------------

"Did he say what he wanted?"

"_Nein_," Kurt replied, hopping after Tabitha as they headed down the hall towards Xavier's office. He glanced at Tabitha. "You okay?"

"Peachy," Tabitha snapped without looking at Kurt.

"Uh-huh." Kurt returned his gaze to the hall.

Sighing, Tabitha looked over at Kurt. "Am I supposed to read your mind now?"

"Are ve?"

Tabitha huffed and walked ahead. "Can a girl not have a bad day without ending up on everyone's couch?"

"How bad a day's it been?"

Tabitha whirled to face Kurt again. "When did it become your business?"

"Woah." Kurt hopped back. "Vhy so touchy all of a sudden?" Tabitha just turned around and continued walking. "Are you in trouble again?"

"Haven't you heard? I _am_ trouble." Tabitha continued until she found herself face-to-face with Kurt.

Kurt glared. "Vhy don't don't you trust us? Vhy von't you get help?"

"Did you?"

Kurt's face fell. "No." Tabitha just raised her chin and stalked past the now unmoving Kurt. "And look how zhey found me." Tabitha stopped. Kurt hopped to the floor. "I ran off into hell, and didn't even see it until it had me." Hopping in front of Tabitha, he added. "Vhat are _you_ running into?"

"A sitch I can't port out of," Tabitha glared at Kurt. "And I don't need anyone else in it. Okay?" With that she strode alone down the hall, leaving her friend behind.

--------------------

"Have a seat, Tabitha," Xavier, seated behind his desk with his hands folded, ordered softly.

Tabitha glanced around as she slowly slipped into the seat in front of Xavier. Near the window behind him stood Ororo, wearing the serene, cold expression that was well-known as a sign of impending trouble. Hank was leaning on the left end of the desk, his relaxed posture belied by his inquisitive look. Behind her, she could hear lumbering footsteps as Logan closed the door and leaned against the nearby wall. To Tabitha's right stood Scott and Jean; Scott with arms crossed and his hard glare showing even through his red opaque glasses; Jean, with eyes that almost seemed to be searching Tabitha.

_Damnit, what if she is?_ Tabitha's thought's flashed back to her meeting with Maurice; she had been marched into a room and onto the receiving end of a staring contest by those big-shots. Only now, she was at her home of several years, among people she called friends, and yet the room felt just as tight, she was just as exposed .... just as trapped as she'd seemed then.

"So?" she asked, trying to keep her face and look cool. If she could get them talking, maybe she could keep them too busy to probe her mind, if they hadn't already .... "What'd I do now?"

Xavier took a slow breath and brought his folded hands up to his chin. "We were just waiting for you to tell _us_."

"Uhhh ..." Tabitha put on her best confused expression. "Am I supposed to get that?" She looked among the silent instructors. "Hey, I'm not a mind reader, you know." _Damnit! Don't give them ideas!_

"You know we don't do that," Jean insisted, almost defensively, as she placed her hands on her hips. "We're just ... concerned about the way you've been acting."

"Anything you'd like to share, Tabitha?" Ororo asked quietly.

**[**

**Downtown Bayville – Warehouse District**

"How's it going?" Maurice asked as he strode into the small office he'd claimed.

The young Giulio looked up from the stolen phone-tap device. "Clear as a whistle."

"You're sure she can pull this off?" asked Enrico, his father's old friend and the family's interim leader.

"Let's see for ourselves," Maurice replied. "Put it on speaker."

**[**

**Xavier Institute**

"Houston, you're losing me," Tabitha insisted. "Anyone wanna clue me in here?"

"We're the ones that need clueing in, Tabitha," Scott snapped. "What are you getting us into here?"

"Scott," Xavier warned before returning his attention to Tabitha. "Tabitha, to begin, you already know about the incident at the gate this morning; probably more than any of us."

**[**

**Downtown Bayville – Warehouse District**

"Are they onto us?" asked Enrico.

Maurice shrugged. "They're scratchin' their heads; the feds do that all the time without botherin' us any."

**[**

**Xavier Institute**

Tabitha could almost feel Xavier's eyes digging into her soul. "So? They're gone, aren't they?"

"You gotta be ...." Scott began before being silenced by a glare from Xavier.

"You should also know that Amara is making a speedy recovery."

"Is she awake?" Tabitha immediately asked, leaning forward slightly.

"Not at the moment. However," Xavier folded his hands in his lap, his eyes still not leaving Tabitha. "She was conscious for several minutes. Long enough to describe that same man following you in the middle of downtown Bayville; right before they assaulted her."

Tabitha's mind raced frantically. "Some crazy ...." she muttered. "He said he had a special spot in hell picked out for me; told me I better watch my back." She shrugged. "Thought it was all talk then."

No one's expressions changed. "I see," Xavier replied slowly; he sounded almost disappointed. "Are you certain you didn't recognize any of them?"

"Didn't I just say that?!" Tabitha stood up and allowed some of her anger to enter her voice. "Is this why you dragged me in here? To call me a liar?!"

"We`re not _calling _you anything, Tabitha," Xavier said sharply. "But your behaviour today has been .... difficult to figure out, to say the least."

"Kurt told us you dropped Amara off then fled," Ororo added smoothly. "What was the emergency you were running off to?"

"I told him: it was a family emergency." Tabitha scowled and sat back down. "As in _family_; not school problem, not X men problem."

"Are you referring to the Antonini family?" Hank asked.

"I ...." Tabitha tightened her jaw as she realized how close she was to letting her secret slip, along with her parents. "Whatnow?" she finally mumbled.

--------------------

"Shit," Enrico observed. "She's spillin'."

"Have a little faith," Maurice assured.

--------------------

Hank frowned and glanced at the papers in his hand. "There was an explosion in downtown Bayville this morning." He placed the papers on the desk and looked directly at Tabitha. "Antonini's Pizzeria, to be precise."

Tabitha said nothing, but her jaw tightened, along with the rest of her body.

"The bodies of several known members of the Antonini crime family were found there," Xavier stated. "They've yet to identify the cause of the explosion."

"So what's that to me?" The cell phone in Tabitha's pocket seemed heavier than usual.

"Your father was a known associate of that same family."

--------------------

"That's it, we're _done_," Enrico snapped. "Have everyone clear out; we gotta cut our losses ...." Enrico trailed off as he found the knife buried in his stomach.

Giulo jumped away from the scene. "Are you insane?" he hissed.

"Just keep listening." Maurice pulled his cell phone from his pocket and prepared to dial the number of his man in the prison.

--------------------

"So that's it, huh?" Her latest expression was easy; even knowing what she was keeping from them, that had _hurt_. "_Suspect _.... by association?"

"Tabitha, please!"

"Are we done here?" Tabitha asked, glaring around the room. "Or should I run and find a cell, save you all the ....?"

"Look, kid," Logan growled, quieting the startled Tabitha. "Whatever personal baggage yer carryin' is yer own; no one here is askin ya to wave it around if yer not ready."

"Really? Then what's with all the questions?" Tabitha replied smartly.

"'Cause that guy you seem to know just put one of our kids in the infirmary," Logan growled. "We're not diggin' for family histories, but we need to know if he'll be comin' our way again!" Logan stepped forward and glared down at Tabitha. "You mind at least explainin' why you were so scared when he first showed?"

Tabitha shook her head, her lip trembling. "I'm not scared."

Logan snorted. "How long you gonna keep lyin' to us?"

"You tell me."

"Tabitha." To everyone's surprise, Xavier reached out and gently took hold of Tabitha's hand. "I did not ask you here to condemn you."

"Yeah; it shows," Tabitha muttered bitterly, yanking her hand away.

"The fault is mine then." Xavier folded his hands on his desk. "But I asked you here because, despite the tumultuous road you travelled, with us _and _your family, you've always come through when it mattered." Tabitha kept her gaze focused on her lap. "I believe this matters as well; will you come through again?"

Tabitha rubbed her head and finally met Xavier's eyes. "I'm sorry, Professor."

--------------------

"**I don't know what to tell you.**"

The silence that followed hung in the air, even over the crackling speakerphone. Finally, the old professor's voice was heard. "**All right, Tabitha; I'll have to discuss this with the staff. In the meantime, you're confined to the Institute until further notice.**"

The scraping of chairs and heavy steps followed. Breathing a sigh of relief, Maurice punched in a different number.

**[**

**Xavier Institute**

"So what now, Professor?" Scott glanced toward the door Tabitha had left through. "She's not telling us anything."

Instead of answering, Xavier stared in front of him for several seconds before heaving a long sigh and reaching for his phone.

"Chuck?" Logan asked, his eyes widening slightly.

After a few moments, Xavier spoke. "Hello? This is Professor Charles Xavier with the Institute for Gifted Children; is Chief Bronson available?"

--------------------

"Happy now?" Tabitha snapped at the phone.

"Happy ain't the word," Maurice replied. "Always knew you'd _come through_."

"Yeah." The glare Tabitha was sending towards the nearby mirror did not fade.

"So I should expect you tonight?"

"Right." Tabitha glanced toward her door. "And then I gotta disappear."

"Makes two of us." Maurice's good-natured tone made Tabitha sick; it was as though they were still playing one of their childhood games. "Don't suppose you wanna come with?"

"Maybe." Tabitha leaned against the headboard. "Is Tiger coming?" she asked.

"Why don't you ask him?" She could almost hear the familiar grin over the phone.

"I thought I just did." Tabitha's face softened slightly. "What happened to him, anyway?"

Maurice sighed. "We all gotta grow up, Tabitha."

"That what they're calling it, now?"

"Doesn't matter what they call it; it still happens," Maurice retorted. "Like tonight." He hung up.

Tabitha cradled the phone, her face hardening. _If only you knew, Tiger ..._

--------------------

Later that night, Tabitha took a quick glance around as she slipped into her old Sirens costume; one of the reminders of her brief spout of independance from the Institute. Tabitha sighed as she snapped her top shut and slipped the sunglasses atop her head. Right now, that time seemed so far away, yet at the same time, so near.

She started down the hallway. Back then, she had revelled at her freedom from Xavier's rules and the endless Logan sessions; most of which still chafed ever since she had returned full time.

Now, when it seemed that she was heading back toward that life, the sense of renewed freedom never formed. In its place hung an empty void.

Tabitha shook her head as she approached Cerebro's hallway. Time to put the chin in hand later; for now, she had work to do.

Tabitha punched in the code she had taken from Xavier's office and walked quietly inside.

The large, round room greeted her. After carefully walking across to the small machine sitting in its center, she sat down before the silent screen.

Within minutes, after logging in and searching through functions, she found the program she was seeking. **RECENT SCANS**

She clicked that option. Sure enough, the screen was filled by a map of the globe filled with blinking yellow lights signifying mutants and their approximate locations.

Thousands of people like her; people with no mansion and, if she went through with this, no secret to protect them.

With shaking hands, she slipped the stolen DVD into the machine's drive and began the download.

"Ya know, ya just missed lights out."

Tabitha shrieked and whirled around. "_Sam?!!!! _What are you doing here?" she hissed.

"Was about to ask you." Sam, his face hard and arms crossed, stepped toward her. "So that's it, Tabitha? That's the big secret? _Stealin' from Cerebro?_"

"You. Don't. Understand." Tabitha glanced desperately at the blinking screen.

"Do you?" Sam brought his arms to his side. "Do you get what yer startin'? What's gonna happen to those people once you sell 'em out?" Tabitha turned back toward the screen. "Do ya care?"

Tabitha's shoulders quivered for a second, then tightened. "Stay out of this, Guthrie."

"Little late fer that." Sam took another step toward her. "Yer stealin from _our _house. _Our _team. The people _we're _tryin to protect."

"Who's we?" Tabitha pulled the DVD from the machine and slipped it into its case.

"All of us. _You_ included, fo' a while." Sam put his hands on his hips. "I don't get it, Tabs, what's gone and changed your mind?"

"Who says I changed my mind?" Tabitha sneered, turning back toward Sam. "Me and this place were _never _a good fit."

Sam's face fell. "Yer call, Tabs," he replied. After spreading her legs to block her exit, he held out a hand. "But the disc stays; hand it over."

"No."

"I'm not askin'," Sam snapped. "Give it here."

"Out of the way."

"_No_." Sam glared at Tabitha. "Gimme the disc before I wake up the household."

Fear finally showed itself on Tabitha's face. "Sam, _don't_."

"Then put the danged disc down."

"I can't!"

"Why not?"

"'_Cause they're going to ....!_" Tabitha suddenly stopped and glanced at her phone pocket.

"Who's gonna what?" Sam stared at Tabitha.

To his surprise, the blonde started to laugh. "I don't know who, and I don't care." She stepped toward Sam. "'Cause they're going to pay some _serious _green for this disc; and I'll be sittin' this little crusade out on the quietest beach I can find. I was thinking Hawaii, or maybe that little island in the Bahamas." She moved closer to a shocked Sam and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Wanna come with?"

Sam's shocked face tightened into a glare as he shoved Tabitha to the floor with both hands. "What happened to you, Tabitha?"

The blonde was already crawling away. "Grew up! Too bad you won't!" she called.

Sam suddenly felt a growing heat in his pajama pocket. _Yer kiddin!_

Without warning, the bomb went off.

--------------------

The alarm was already blaring before Tabitha had made it down the hallway. Tabitha growled; shewas _sick _of that security system.

Pausing only to slip the disc into the pouch she'd pilfered for the occasion, she raced up the stairs. With any luck, she could slip out the front door before anyone else rolled out of bed.

Then again, this _was _the Xavier Institute.

"This is your choice, Tabitha?"

Tabitha gasped and stopped short as she spotted the large, metallic Russian blocking the front door. "Who said it was a choice, Tin Grin?"

"There is always a choice," he replied, holding out his hand. "Just give me the disc."

"Sorry; no can do." A large glowing bomb flew towards his outstretched hand.

Tabitha turned and ran up the stairs as it went off, accompanied by a very familiar grunt. _So much for the front door_ she thought. _There's always the windows ... _A pair of slippered feet slamming into her chest put the lie to that idea.

Grunting in pain, Tabitha grabbed the railing and pulled herself up before throwing herself back down the stairs and around the railing toward the basement in time to see a pajama-clad Rogue land in front of her. "Did I forget to check out or something?"

"You ain't goin' nowhere!" Rogue snapped before swinging her foot in a roundhouse toward Tabitha's head. Tabitha ducked and swung her own foot towards Rogue's, knocking the southerner to the ground. Growling, Rogue rolled onto her hands and knees and drove her leg out, connecting her heel with Tabitha's stomach.

Gasping for breath, Tabitha swung her left arm, only to find it caught and twisted into an arm lock. As Rogue shoved her against the wall, she hissed. "Kinda figured you'd sell us out."

Tabitha groaned. _Sparring with the Rogue; great plan_ she chided herself, before remembering she was _way _beyond planning. Thinking quickly, she tossed a small bomb over her shoulder towards Rogue's face. Yelping, the southerner turned pulled away and averted her eyes, giving Tabitha time to pull away from the wall and run for the corridor, dropping a trail of bombs behind her and burying the Rogue in explosions.

--------------------

"Professor?" Scott now stood in the Professor's doorway, fully uniformed. "She's on the move."

A fully dressed Xavier nodded, then turned towards his phone. "Chief? She's making her move."

--------------------

Already panting for breath, Tabitha leaned against the nearby walls. Looking around, she spotted the hallway leading past the infirmary to the hangar bay, concealed by the large waterfall. _Guess that's my exit._

"Tabitha?"

Tabitha's face snapped towards the nearby infirmary door, where Amara stood, staring aghast at her friend.

Tabitha's expression shifted to concern. "Girl, what are _you_ doing out of bed?!" she exclaimed.

"The Professor said you were running again." Without taking her eyes off Tabitha, she leaned against the doorjamb to steady herself. "He said you were selling Cerebro."

"That old man's _full _of stories," Tabitha sniffed.

Amara's glare did not waver. "Why are you lying to me again?"

"Ask me again, I'll _do _it again," Tabitha retorted, turning towards the hangar, only to see a jet of flame shoot past her.

Amara raised a glowing, shaking hand. "Don't, Tabitha." Her voice was flat.

Tabitha looked back at Amara. "Do you _really _wanna do this now?" she challenge.

"No." Her arm continued to shake. "It's up to you, Tabitha."

Tabitha scoffed. "Right. Choices again." She took another step.

"Tabitha, stop!" Amara took a step forward, lighting her hands up. "You don't have to do this again!"

Tabitha's face turned cold. "Sorry; I'm better on my own." She took another step.

"Tabitha, one more step and I'll light you on fire!" Amara yelled

"THEN LIGHT ME ON FIRE!" Tabitha screamed before running for the hangar.

Amara slowly lowered her arm and watched as her friend blew open the hangar door and dove through the water fall.

--------------------

"X men." Glancing around the room, Xavier confirmed that the whole remaining team was gathered in the war room. "As you may or may not know, Tabitha has fled the Institute and is currently on the move. What you may _not _know," he paused, "is that she downloaded sensitive information from Cerebro."

"What kind of information?" Chief Bronson's voice rang out of the phone Xavier carried on his lap.

--------------------

Finally seeing a cab pull up near her, Tabitha pulled open the door and hurled herself in. "Warehouse District?"

The driver glanced back at her. "This time of night?"

"Trust me; you don't wanna know. Just drive."

--------------------

Xavier looked over at Hank, who took a deep breath. "As far as we can tell, she's accessed the most recent worldwide scans over the past week and downloaded the data to a DVD."

"That data contains the approximate location of every manifested mutant across the planet." Xavier glanced at Alex, who was already paling. "I'm sure I don't need to explain what would be in store for those innocent mutants when they are exposed."

"Why would she do that?!" Bobby blurted out. "Is she _insane?!_"

"I'm afraid it's more complicated than that," Xavier replied grimly.

--------------------

"Thanks," Tabitha told the driver as she dropped the last of her bills into his waiting hand. As he drove away, Tabitha looked over at the darkened warehouse. Their old playground.

"_Hah! Got ya!" Maurice laughed as he wrapped his arms around Tabitha's waist. The short blonde squealed and shoved playfully at her friend. "Your under arrest!"_

Tabitha glanced around. No one in sight, so they had to be inside. She took a deep breath and walked towards the door she had never opened.

"_What are they doing in there?" Tabitha asked as she and Maurice sat panting after a particulary vicious round of Cops and Robbers._

"_I dunno," Maurice shrugged. "Papa always tells me not to ask."_

"_My daddy says the same thing." Tabitha looked back at Maurice, a wicked smile forming on her face. "Wanna go peek?"_

"_You'll get us in trouble!" Maurice yelled as she hopped up and crept over to the door._

"_I'm just wanna ..." Tabitha stopped as the door swung open._

Tabitha hopped up on a nearby crate and peered into the darkened room. Suddenly the door swung open.

"_What're you doing here, Tabby?" her father asked, staring down at her as he wiped something from his hands._

"_Uhhh ...." Tabitha glanced over her shoulder at Maurice, then replied. "Lookin for a place to hide, Daddy; we're playing Hide and Seek."_

"_Uh huh." Tossing the rag over his shoulder. "Well, playtimes over, Tabby; we gotta go." Before he finished speaking, he was already reaching down and grabbing Tabitha's arm._

Tabitha landed in a combat-ready stance facing the door.

"You're early," whispered the figure at the door.

"That a problem?" Tabitha snapped, walking toward the door.

Playtime was _so _over.

--------------------

"Are you all clear on your tasks?" The shocked students nodded. "Good; then move out immediately; we have little time."

As the teams filed out of the room, Xavier turned to his phone. "Chief?"

"My men are on the move now," Bronson replied. "You sure you can find her?"

"Without a doubt," Xavier replied.

--------------------

Tabitha's first steps inside the warehouse found her staring into the muzzles of several submachine guns. Without a word, she slipped two fingers into her pouch and lifted the disc in front of her.

"It's all right," she heard Maurice call. "She's with me."

Tabitha let out a long sigh as the guns lowered. "You wish," she mumbled. She glanced around, her heart already sinking. At least a dozen men had gathered in front of her, all fully armed. Out of the corner of her eye, she could already see others taking positions along the balcony that ran across the back of the warehouse. "What's with all the guns, Maurice?" she called.

"Security." Maurice brought his hands together in silent applause as he approached her. "And here I thought you'd _never _surprise me again," he grinned. "Did you know everyone here bet you'd never make it out of the mansion? I already made a _killing_ before you got here!" Nearing Tabitha, he reached for the disc. "Now, back to business ..."

"Slow down, Tiger," Tabitha replied, pulling the disc out of reach. "You going to call the dogs off or should I?"

Maurice grin seemed to waver. "Come on, Tabitha ..." he coaxed.

"Look, I did what you asked," Tabitha snapped. "I boosted the info, and I didn't say a word about it."

"Yeah, but you got caught." Maurice grin was gone now.

"They don't know where I am, or who I'm with," Tabitha retorted, glaring at Maurice. "Just call them off, _then _you get the disc and off my back. How's that work for you?"

The carefree smile returned to Maurice's face. "Damn, Tabby," he chuckled. "Still as feisty as ever; how'd your dad put up with you?"

"Who says he did?"

--------------------

Xavier put his hands to his temples. _I have a location; Bayville warehouse district, north end, Rical Imports building. Are you all in position?_

_We're heading there now, Professor_ came Scott's reply.

_Logan?_

_Pullin in now_. Logan growled over the mindlink.

_All right, everyone; you know what needs to be done. Do not hesitate._

--------------------

"The disc, Tabitha," Maurice insisted.

"Oh, one more thing," Tabitha added, hugging the disc to her chest. "I want to know who I'm selling this to."

"I told you; I don't know," Maurice replied, his voice rising. "What's with the questions?"

The blonde shrugged. "Never liked middlemen; can't a girl be curious, anyway?"

"You've been out of the game too long." Maurice snapped his fingers and the men near Tabitha moved closer to her, hands resting on their weapons. "Curiosity can be a real killer."

"Right, right," Tabitha yawned. "Why do you think I found a new game?"

Maurice rolled his eyes. "Yeah. The mutant peace corps or whatever." He scoffed. "Did you really think you'd fit into that life?"

Tabitha shrugged. "Worked for me."

"And look where you are now," Maurice waved to the men surrounding Tabitha. "This is taking too long; just hand it over."

--------------------

"You sure yer up to this, half-pint?" Logan growled. Kitty just glared at him and hopped off the bike next to Laura.

--------------------

"Okay, I got it," Kurt told Xavier. He glanced over at his partner. "No games, zhis time, okay? If we mess zhis up ..."

"_Je sais, je sais_," Remy grumbled. "Mo' boots to clean."

--------------------

_We're here_, _Professor_ Scott thought as he and the rest of the remaining team inched towards the warehouse.

_Very well; the police are on their way. Wait for them before you move._

--------------------

"Just who in the hell do you think you are?!" Maurice demanded as Giulo pulled a cell phone from his pocket. "You're alone, Tabitha; and you're playing by my rules now." As if on cue, the men nearby pulled raised their guns. "What's it going to be? The disc, or the phone call?"

Tabitha slowly eyed the armed men around her, then the cell phone in Giulo's hand, before putting her hands to her face. Then she did something none of the men in the room would have bet a cent on.

She laughed.

It started as a slight quiver in her shoulders, which most mistook for sobbing. Before they could stop her, her hands slipped away, revealing teary eyes contradicted by the wide grin.

Maurice blinked. Of all the reactions he'd thought of, this was not one of them, and it left him frozen. "What the hell's so funny?"

Tabitha continued to giggle. "You keep forgetting," she gasped. "I _never _play by the rules!"

**[**

**Xavier Institute - Earlier**

_Tabitha rubbed her head and finally met Xavier's eyes. "I'm sorry, Professor." But if I say a word, my parents die, she added through thoughtspeak._

_Xavier frowned. Tell me more, but keep talking._

"_I don't know what to tell you." Okay._

--------------------

"_So what now, Professor?" Scott glanced toward the door Tabitha had left through. "She's not telling us anything."_

_Instead of answering, Xavier stared in front of him for several seconds before heaving a long sigh and reaching for his phone._ _She just did._

"_Chuck?" Logan asked, his eyes widening slightly._

_She's told me everything. "Hello? This is Professor Charles Xavier with the Institute for Gifted Children; is Chief Bronson available?"_

--------------------

"_I'm afraid it's more complicated than that," Xavier replied grimly. "The buyers have threatened her family to ensure her cooperation."_

_Amid the gasps and whispers that followed, Jean's voice broke through. "So what do we do?"_

"_We need three teams for this mission."_

--------------------

"_My men are on the move now," Bronson replied. "You sure you can find her?"_

"_Without a doubt," Xavier replied. "Because I already know where she's going."_

--------------------

"And who says I came alone?" she smirked.

Maurice and Giulio glanced at one another. "Didn't she just blow away her teammates?" asked a confused Giulio.

"Sounded that way," Maurice replied.

Tabitha continued to laugh.

--------------------

"_Ugghhh," Sam mumbled, rubbing his head. This a show, or another session?_

_It's necessary, Sam, came Xavier's reply. Gather everyone in the War Room; I will explain everything._

--------------------

"_Who went an' started de con wit'out moi?" Remy demanded as he pulled Piotr to his feet._

"_Who is ... conning?" the Russian groaned._

"_In case ya didn't notice, Cajun," Rogue snapped as she joined them, a little worse for wear. "That actually hurt!"_

--------------------

_Before Tabitha dove through the waterfall, she turned and grinned at Amara, who gave her a thumbs up._

--------------------

"_WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU NOT TELLING ME?!_" Maurice snapped.

Before Tabitha could answer, the roar of a helicopter was heard overhead. "THIS IS THE BAYVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT. WE HAVE THE PLACE SURROUNDED; DROP YOUR WEAPONS AND COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR HEAD!"

"_Fill'e bagassa!_" Giulio yelled, looking around frantically. "She _did _spill!"

In all the years she'd known him, Tabitha had never seen Maurice so angry. "Make the call!" he ordered. Giulio began to punch the number.

And Tabitha moved.

Giulio grunted as the bomb exploded near his hand, shattering the cell phone and burning his hand. Hearing the explosion, several armed men spun back towards Tabitha and opened fire.

--------------------

Bronson swore under his breath. "That's it; everyone move in!" he yelled.

--------------------​

Tabitha yelped as she ducked behind a nearby crate, narrowly avoiding the spray of bullets that quickly peppered Giulio, dropping his bleeding body to the ground. She quickly pulled her arms and legs in as the barrage continued.

Seconds later, explosions at the doors drew the gunmen's attention. "Hold 'em off!" Maurice yelled as he backed towards the last intact door.

As the masked policemen began to file into the warehouse, Maurice's men obediently turned their fire toward them. Several policemen took several steps before realizing they had no cover on their end.

No cover except for the invisible wall in front of their targets. Startled, the gunmen stopped firing until they spotted the statuesque redhead floating behind the policemen.

"_Mutante!_" one of them screamed, at which point a red blast slammed into his rifle.

"You noticed?" Scott quipped. As the men turned their remaining guns toward him, they were greeted by a blinding display of red beams from Alex and electric bolts from Ray slamming into their weapons.

Aiming for the mutants, the men hiding near the wall were unprepared for it crumbling behind them, admitting Evan, Rahne, Roberto, Hank, and Jamie, who all set to work on the nearby attackers.

Up on the balcony, the remaining men aimed their weapons, only to find their guns turning to solid ice, along with the balcony beneath them. As the men slipped, staggered, and cursed, Scott carefully aimed at the balcony's support beams and fired several shots, collapsing that end and turning the balcony into an icy slide, which the now-disoriented gunmen slid down, too busy seeking footholds to even think about her guns.

A pleased-looking Bobby soared down toward Tabitha. "Hey, Tabs; having fun ye-ack!" he grunted as something slammed into his shoulder, knocking him to the ground.

Horrified, Tabitha looked toward the nearby exit, where she spotted an armed Maurice. With a low growl, she hurled another bomb toward his hand, destroying the gun. Snarling as he grabbed his injured hand, Maurice sent one last glare toward Tabitha. "Too many freaks for me," he spat before pulling out of sight.

"We're secure, Chief!" one of the officers as they approached the downed gunmen.

"Everyone all right?" Bronson asked as he strode inside, followed by an older, white-haired man in plainclothes. "Agent Duncan: anybody you recognize?"

Duncan took a careful look at the downed men now being handcuffed by the police. "Just the muscle, Chief," he replied. "I thought you said there'd be at least one of the Antonini's here."

"That's what Tabitha told us," Scott put in as he approached the group.

"Well, where is _she_?" Agent Duncan demanded.

Scott's face fell as he scanned the warehouse. "I don't see her ...." he something else caught his attention. "Bobby!"

The young X man was being examined by Hank as he lay groaning and clutching his aching shoulder. "Scott," he grunted, pointing toward the exit. "She ran after ...."

--------------------​​

Maurice muttered a few choice words to himself as he ducked behind a nearby building. What had seemed like a safe, lucrative exchange had turned into a mess he hadn't even dreamt of; not only had Tabitha spilled, but he had not figured it out until her whole damn mutant army was on the meeting, with the cops at their back! How had she pulled _that _off?!

Not that it mattered, for the moment. For now, the best he could do was get to his boat, hopefully before the cops found it, and disappear somewhere, start again somehow.

He pulled out a cell phone and began to punch in a number he'd memorized. Suddenly pain flared in his hand and the phone went flying.

"What was that you said about _finishing the job_?" Before Maurice could react, Tabitha had grabbed the back of his neck and shoved his face into the wall.

As Maurice collapsed to the ground, clutching his broken nose, Tabitha just crossed her arms and glared down at him. "Get up." Apparently ignoring her, Maurice began crawling down the alley.

He had only travelled a few feet, however, when Tabitha's foot crashed into his ribs. "You know, Tiger, I owe you a few myself." After waiting until her old friend had struggled to his knees, Tabitha lashed out with her fist, her mind on Amara's battered body. Then, hearing her mother's screams, she struck again. Then she struck again, seeing Bobby tumble. Then again, for the disappointed looks from her friends. Then again. And again ....

Suddenly, a sharp pain to her side drew her attention.

Tabitha froze, her arm already in mid-punch. Below her, Maurice grinned. "You never could beat me," he said, bringing his knife up near his face. Something red had stained it.

The world around her, along with her own memories, was already swimming out of focus as something warm began to run down her waist. She barely noticed as Maurice shoved her off of him and reached for something before grabbing her hair and bringing a cell phone close to her face. "Stay with me, Tabby; I want you to hear this," he hissed before bringing it to his ear. "Hey Leo, it's me. She screwed us. Make the call."

**[**

**Smith Residence**

After signing off, Leo Antonini punched in the number they'd saved for the occasion. "Hey Paolo? The job's a go. Just don't make a mess, and you'll be square for life."

As Paolo acknowledged, Leo hung up and looked towards a bound, gagged, and frightened Allie. Smith.

**[ **

**Bayville City Jail**

After hiding the prepaid cell under his pillow, Paolo stood up and stretched. Just one more job, one less favor owed; a feeling he definitely enjoyed.

As stepped out of his cell, his eye fell on a nervous-looking Jim Smith.

**[**

**Warehouse**

"This was your call, Tabitha," Maurice remarked as he stood up. "You know that, right?"

Tabitha, her hands clutching the wound in her side, just glared back at him.

**[**

**Smith Residence**

Allie Smith's eyes widened as Leo laid a plastic sheet behind her. "Nooo ..." she moaned through the gag.

"Don't bother, ma'am," Leo replied as he rose from his crouch. "Say what you want; I got no more say than you do."

**[ **

**Bayville City Jail**

Jim Smith finally caught sight of the approaching Paolo. _Damnit, Tabby,_ he cursed silently as he backed away. He had to get away, find a C.O or something, or ... He gasped as rough hands seized him, halting his flight.

Paolo nodded to the pair that had grabbed Jim Smith. They were both men who owed him small favours that he'd collected over the years inside. Without a word, they shoved him into the nearby cell.

--------------------​​

"Never occured to me an X gal ...." Maurice chuckled, "would sign off her own." He shrugged. "Then again, I never thought _you_ would go and throw in with them."

--------------------​​

"Don't worry; it'll be over soon," Leo told Allie as he gently laid her down on the plastic sheet. "Just think of something else," he added as he loaded his pistol.

--------------------​​

"Wait, wait, _wait_!" Jim insisted as Paolo followed him into the cell. "Whatever they're paying you ....!"

--------------------​​

"Anyway, I gotta run for now," Maurice said as he rose to his feet. "I'll leave you to your parents dead bodies." As he turned, leaving the bleeding Tabitha behind An ashen-faced Tabitha finally whispered a reply.

--------------------​​

Leo carefully aimed at the center of Allie's head.

--------------------​​

"Save it," Paolo grunted as he carefully removed the shiv from his pocket. "You had your chance."

--------------------​​

"I didn't catch that," Maurice said as he knelt next to Tabitha. "Say what?"

The ashen-faced blonde drew in a shaking breath. "That is ..." she gasped faintly, "... so ... weak."

--------------------​​

Suddenly, the backyard seemed to explode in a display of bright colors. "The hell ....??!!!" Leo exclaimed, his attention drawn away from Allie.

--------------------​​

Before Paolo could take another step towards Jim, the cell seemed to fill with smoke.

--------------------​​

By the time Leo's attention returned to his target, she was .... Leo blinked. _Sinking through the floor?!_

"We interruptin', bub?" growled a deep voice behind him.

--------------------​​

Paolo coughed. "_Who in the ...?!_"

"Now, now, _mon ami_," drawled an unfamiliar voice. As the smoke ckeared, he finally noticed a tall, auburn haired man – Cajun, by the sounds of him – taking his wrist. "No reason we can't settle dis like _gentlemen_."

--------------------​​

Losing his cool for the first time in his life, Leo yelped and fired toward the voice; and was rewarded by a snarl and the clink of metal.

Before he could fire a second shot, he heard a shriek above him just before three blades skewered his hand and the gun in one smooth motion. As he screamed in pain, he noticed the small form next to him before its foot swung up into his chin.

--------------------​​

"Who the hell are you?!" Paolo demanded.

"Just a fellow wit' an interest," the Cajun grinned stepping toward him. "You mind if we talk outside?" For some reason, Paolo found himself backing outside the cell. In full view. Shiv in hand.

"What do you think you're doing?" Paolo looked towards the face of a glaring C.O.

--------------------​​

Laura snarled and brought her free hand up for a stab to the face.

"Easy, Laura," Logan grunted as he dug at his shoulder. "How's the lady?" he barked.

The sound of sobs rang out over Logan's comlink. "Soooo messed up," replied a tired-sounding Kitty, "but she should be okay."

"How 'bout you, half-pint?"

Kitty huffed. "MR LOGAN! I swear, if you, like, ask me that again ....!"

"Eewwwww," Jubilee muttered as she joined Logan and Laura inside. "Is that _blood?_"

"Just tie him up, already," Logan snapped, rubbing his head.

--------------------​​

"You have _got _to tell me how you do zhat," Kurt remarked as they watched the guards drag the screaming Paolo away.

Remy shrugged. "Gifts what we call 'em, no?"

Kurt shot a slightly suspicious look. "You ... you haven't used it on _us_, have you?"

Remy grinned back at Kurt. "Don't work if dey no surprise, Crawler," he said with a wink.

Kurt sighed, then closed his eyes. _Professor? We're done here._

_Well done, both of you,_ replied a tired-sounding Xavier from his post outside._ But I can't hold the illusion much longer; hurry back, if you please._

_On zhe vay._ As he reached for Remy's elbow, he glanced over at a wide-eyed Jim. "Oh; your daughter says hi."

**[**

**Warehouse**

"Wolfsbane; can you track her?" Scott demanded.

Rahne took a deep breath. "Too many scents," she growled.

"Then we have to search the place," Scott declared.

"You're kidding, right?" Bronson eyed the seemingly endless rows of warehouses.

--------------------​​

Maurice stood up sharply. "No ..." he breathed. "You're .... _kidding._"

Tabitha's lips formed into a weak smirk.

"God ... _damnit!_" Maurice swore, whirling away from Tabitha. "Just how many mutie friends do you keep around?!" he yelled. He felt as though he had caught fire; anger burned within him, like none he'd ever felt before. He spun back to face Tabitha, knife in hand.

--------------------​​

"All right; everyone, spread out," Bronson snapped. "Check every building, every alley, every sewer! Move!" His men moved, followed swiftly by the X men.

--------------------​​

Tabitha grunted as the knife broke the skin on her arm. "Who'da thought the girl'd have so much blood in her?" Maurice growled. Planting a foot on her side wound, he glared hatefully at his old friend. "I don't get you anymore, Tabs." He shook his head. "There was a time I could count on you for anything; you always came through. Now, you split for six years, I find you ... you give me nothing _but_ surprises!" He pressed the boot down hard. "_There anything else I oughta know?!_"

Tabitha continued smiling before she mouthed. "Back. Pocket."

Maurice then realized something else was burning within him. Or, his pockets, at least.

Maurice screamed as he found himself on fire for real. Grimacing, Tabitha clenched her fist.

--------------------​​

"You hear that?" Scott froze as the scream reached his ears.

"Look!" Jean exclaimed as a small, yet recognizable, explosion appeared a couple warehouses down.

The pair immediately broke into a run. "Everyone, converge on the explosion!"

Scott's order was soon echoed by Bronson, who had a couple men near the alley. What they found stopped them cold.

"Bitch!" rasped a fully immolated Maurice while Tabitha lay still, a pool of blood forming in front of her. Apparently unaware of the uniformed police gathering at the end of the alley, he reached into his burning pocket and pulled out a pistol.​​

The officers finally remembered themselves. "Bayville Police! Drop the gun!" one of them shouted as they drew their weapons.

"Thought you'd send me to hell before you?!" Maurice snarled, staggering toward a prone Tabitha.

"Put the weapon down now!"

"Here I thought I'd make you wait ...!"

"Don't do this!"

"Put it down!"

"But it looks like I'm on the way too!" Maurice mumbled, dropping to his knees.

"Last warning!"

"Drop it!"

"_And I'm tired of waiting_ ..._!!!!_" Maurice drawled, raising the pistol.

The effect was immediate. Maurice jerked as the bullets lanced into him, driving him to the pavement where he continued to burn.

"Everyone all right?" Jean asked as she and Scott arrived. "Where's ..." she trailed off as she spotted the still form next to the burning Maurice.

"Jean?" Scott asked, noticing the horrified look appearing on Jean's face. "What's ...?" Scott too trailed off as he noticed what had caught Jean's attention. "Oh no ...."

"TABITHA!" Jean finally screamed as she and Scott raced toward their pale, bleeding friend. _MR MCCOY!!! _After wincing slightly at Jean's psychic shout, Hank raced towards the alley.

His breath caught in his throat as he found Tabitha cradled in Jean's lap, bleeding freely from several wounds and staring in front of her with lifeless eyes. "You two; give me your jackets," he snapped at the two nearby officers. After yanking them from the officers hands, he leapt over to Tabitha. "Scott; put pressure on her side," he ordered, handing him one of the jackets.

"Jesus," muttered one of the officers as he approached.

Hank snarled in frustration. The cut on her side was too wide to simply stop. And with the amount of blood she had already lost .... "We have to get her to the Blackbird."

"She's already in shock, Hank!"

"Then we'd best not waste another second," Hank snapped, scooping the blonde up in his arms. "Hold on, Tabitha ....!"

Tabitha continued to stare.

**[**

**Bayville City Jail – Two Days Later**

Jim Smith glanced at the clock yet again. _10 minutes now_ he noted. What the hell was taking ... whoever was visiting ... so long?

In the days since the attack, he had been sitting in AdSeg; apparently, the attempted hit on him had finally convinced the warden to move him away from general population. Not that the warden looked happy about it; in fact, he had begun talking about the loony ward when Jim had told him about the blue fuzzy man and the Cajun that had appeared in his cell.

Only today had several C.O.'s dragged him to the interrogation room with barely a word.

Finally, the door swung open. "Thank you, Warden," Professor Xavier told the elderly man next to him. "I'll just be a few minutes."

Xavier now turned his attention to Jim, who was already out of his seat and backing away. "You here to pluck my brain?" he snarled nervously.

"Sit down, Mr. Smith," Xavier said coldly.

After a moment returning the glare, Jim sat in front of the balding Professor. "Whaddya want?"

Xavier folded his hands in front of him. "Not too long ago, some associates of yours ..."

"I don't have any ... OOWWWW!" Jim suddenly cried, clutching his head as pain swelled within his head.

Xavier glared, and the pain disappeared. "Please let me finish." After waiting for Jim to return to glaring at Xavier, he continued. "Some men connected to organized crime recently tried to coerce one of my students into stealing sensitive information from the Institute." He locked his eyes on Jim's. "Your daughter, to be precise."

Jim snorted. "I take it she didn't play ball."

"No." Xavier shook his head, his eyes not leaving Jim's. "As a matter of fact, she volunteered to assist the authorities in their arrest."

"What?!" Jim shot to his feet. "You let her go against the Antonini's? _Are you insane?!_"

Xavier's face did not move. "The Antonini's were already moving against _us_, Mr. Smith, against several of my students. The only reasonable course of action was to put the family behind bars. And only Tabitha was capable of accomplishing that."

Jim gritted his teeth. "Well, where is she now? I wanna see her!"

Xavier finally cast his eyes down. "I'm afraid Tabitha .... won't be joining us."

"_What the hell happened?!_"

"She sustained several grave knife wounds during the sting." He took a slow breath. "Given the loss of blood, and the time it took to find her ...."

"_YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!_" Jim's hands were on Xavier's collar now. By now, lost in his own fury, he could not even hear the door slam open. "You were supposed to protect her, and you send her off playing snitch!" He jerked back, almost pulling Xavier over the table. "Who the hell do you think you ...?!" Jim trailed off as an officer rushed in and wrapped an arm around his throat.

"Stop it!"

The melee came to an abrupt halt as Jim noticed the voice.

An equally surprised Xavier turned and glared toward the door. "Hank, I thought she ...!"

"I've said it all, Charles," the large blue furry mutant sighed as he pushed the wheelchair and its occupant toward the doorway. "Never have I had such a .... dangerously stubborn patient."

"Xavier?" asked one of the guards, still clutching a stunned Jim.

Xavier nodded. "Let him go."

"You're kidding, right?!" asked the other guard incredulously.

Xavier sighed. "I promise you, if he does it again, I will see to it that he wakes up tomorrow with a throbbing migraine."

The guards glanced at Jim, then at Xavier. "Works for me," one of them grunted.

As they made their way out of the room, Xavier turned his attention to the blonde in the wheelchair. "Tabitha, you really should be resting; you're lucky to be ...."

"I just need a minute," she whispered. "Alone."

Xavier glanced at Hank, then shot a tight glare over his shoulder at Jim. "One minute," he finally relented, his voice stern. "Then you get your rest."

As Hank carefully wheeled Tabitha in and Xavier out, Jim looked his daughter over for the first time in years. His fists clenched again as he noticed the bandages on her arm, shoulder, and her left side. She looked pale as he'd ever seen her, and wore a near-lifeless expression, the only facial movement being her rapidly blinking eyelids. "What happened to you?" he finally managed.

Tabitha's lips curled into a weak sneer. "The usual," she mumbled. "You rack up big debts, I get stuck paying for 'em. No biggie."

"They weren't my ...."Jim began.

"Don't," Tabitha interrupted. "I don't wanna hear it."

"Hear what? Are you psychic, now?" Jim growled.

Tabitha slowly shook her head. "No. I've just heard it all since you .... since you took me on your little 'shopping spree.'"

Jim's face softened slightly. "Tabby .... I didn't see any other way."

"Yeah." Tabitha glared. "Heard that before too. In fact, you just told me the same thing about Maurice."

"And look where your way got you," Jim retorted, his eyes still on the bandages covering his daughter.

Tabitha sighed and focused her gaze on the table. "Look, I'm gonna pass out in a minute, so I can't go over all this again."

"Then what are you doing here?" Jim demanded.

Tabitha continued to study the tabletop. "I talked to that fed outside. He said there's a spot for you and Mom in his ..."

"Witness program?!" Jim stood up sharply. "You turned me over to the feds? What makes you think I'd tell them ....?!!"

"I really don't care." Tabitha replied dully. "But this is the last lifeline I throw you, Dad. From here on out, you're on your own." She leaned forward slightly. "And if you _ever _try to drag me or my friends into your messes, I'll see to it that my Prof makes you forget we ever existed."

Without another word, she rolled away from the table and turned toward the door.

"Tabitha ..." Jim called, his face aghast.

Ignoring him, Tabitha reached for the door handle.

"Tabitha, wait a second."

Tabitha opened the door.

"Tabitha, goddamnit, I'm your _father_!"

Tabitha finally stopped and looked over her shoulder. Her expression was hard. "You should've acted like one."

Jim stared as the blue-furred doctor came in and wheeled his daughter out of the room. Out of his life.

As the door shut behind her, Tabitha looked over at Duncan standing next to a grim-looking Bronson. "So what happens now?" she asked.

Duncan shrugged. "Your mom's being relocated now; your father, on the other hand ..." he shook his head. "It's up to him whether he gives us enough to justify witness protection."

Tabitha's face did not change. "Good luck with that."

"What happens to Tabitha?" Xavier asked.

Duncan looked over at Bronson, who shrugged. "Given the men's .... criminal histories, their actions against your Institute, and the fact that they were all armed, it's going into the books as self-defense."

"I'd still like you to reconsider ..." Duncan began.

"No," Tabitha replied. "I'll be fine here where I am."

"She's as safe within my Institute as she would be in any of your safehouses," Xavier added.

"It's still a high-profile target; she won't be hard to find," Duncan argued.

"It's also the best-defended building in New York State," Xavier replied. "It's survived numerous attacks without loss of life; and I can take extra measures to ensure her safety until she goes on the record."

Sensing defeat, Duncan nodded tightly. "All right, it's her life. Just .... oh." Tabitha had fallen asleep sometime during the argument.

"I think that's our cue," Hank whispered as he turned to wheel her out of the building.

**[**

**Xavier Institute – Later that Evening**

Tabitha groaned under her breath as she slowly opened her eyes. _Will those men ever stop arguing? Waait a minute ...._

As her eyes finally adjusted, she realized the room looked nothing like the police station she had threatened Mr. McCoy into taking her. In fact, if the shelves full of bottles and bandages in front of her, and the soft bed under her back were any indication ....

She sighed. Back in the infirmary. Again. Probably for a while now, according to McCoy.

Her memories had become blurred from the moment she had lit her old friend up. She had finally relaxed then, waiting for sleep to claim her, for an end to the insanity her life, inside a day, had become.

Instead she had felt a series of shocks to her chest, dragging her back towards alertness. Someone had thrown something warm atop her. Voices had clamored for her to hold on, stay with them .... it was enough to make Tabitha wish she had the strength to scream. After several more blurry, disjointed experiences, she had finally woken up inside the infirmary, where McCoy had reluctantly told her of Xavier's meeting with her father.

Now, having dumped her father from her life and hidden her mother away with the feds, here she found herself again. Alone.

"Feelin' better?"

Tabitha groaned and rolled her head toward the voice. _Okay, wrong on one count_. In the bed next to her sat a concerned-looking Sam. "You kidding?" she grumbled, dragging herself up to a sitting position.

"Woah, easy," Sam coaxed, standing up and reaching over to slide Tabitha back toward the headboard, a motion that caused her stomach to jump and spin. _Stupid drugs,_ she told herself. It had to be that. Wait .... hadn't McCoy told her she wasn't on any?

"Thanks," she mumbled as Sam sat back down. Finally looking directly at him, she asked. "How's everyone?"

Sam shrugged. "Nobody worse off than you right now," he replied. Smiling slightly, he added, "Though ya _did _destroy my favorite shorts."

Tabitha snorted slightly. "I'll cover them when allowance day comes. Unless you want one nabbed now?" she teased.

Sam chuckled softly. "I'll wait."

"Goody-boy." The infirmary fell silent for several long seconds before Tabitha spoke again. "So where are the others?"

"Watching the news," came a new voice from the doorway.

"Hey, girl," Tabitha greeted the brunette as she came into the infirmary, paper bag tucked under her arm, and sat on the other side of Tabitha. "Am I in it?"

Amara shook her head. "It's all about those crooks and the 'heroic efforts of the Bayville Police.'" Her expression perked up slightly. "Did you know they're wondering why the Sirens didn't show up?"

"Puh-lease," Tabitha scoffed. "I'm the one with the war wounds and they get to go on TV?"

"An' Ah thought those Sirens were just a rumour," Sam said. The girls just laughed. "What?"

"You're behind, good ole boy," Tabitha giggled.

"Again?" The laughter quickly died down. _Smooth, boy _he told himself. Hoping to change the subject, he asked Amara. "Well? Did you get it?"

"Get what?" Tabitha asked.

"Well, since you been in such a sorry state these past few days, we had ta think o' _somethin'_ to bring ya back up," Sam explained.

Reaching into the bag, Amara looked intently at Tabitha. "Just so you know, we're _not _supposed to have this."

"An' ya didn't see it here," Sam added.

"See what?"

"That'll do." Without another word, Amara reached into the bag and pulled out its contents.

Tabitha's eyes widened as she saw the large, very expensive, if she remembered, bottle of wine in her friend's hands. "Where did you ...?!"

"Prof's desk," Sam replied.

"You guys broke into the Prof's desk?" Tabitha asked, her eyebrows raised.

"Well ..." Ignoring Amara's shaking head, he went on. "Actually we had ta .... hire someone."

"But we can't say who!" Amara put in.

Tabitha looked at the wine, then up at Amara. "What'd he charge you?"

"All of our allowance, an' we had ta cover a couple cleanin' duties." grumbled Sam.

Tabitha just shook her head, looking at the wine. All that effort and sacrifice, just to boost her spirits ... There was only one way Tabitha knew to react to such gestures. "Wow; you got _played_!" She looked at Sam and Amara. "You guys gotta let _me _negotiate next time, okay?"

Sam and Amara laughed. "Fair enough."

"So: we drinking or not?" Tabitha asked impatiently.

"Bottoms up," Sam replied, passing out plastic cups she had brought for the occasion. "Now, uhhh ..." he frowned at the sealed bottle that had suddenly become a mystery.

"Let me." Before Sam blinked, Amara had plucked the bottle from his hand, aimed toward the ceiling, and twisted the bottle. After a loud pop, and a complaint from Sam as the cork landed on his head, she was busily filling each cup with the sparkling liquid.

"Okay, to ...." Tabitha trailed off, holding her cup in the air.

"Having Tabitha back?!" Amara suggested.

"Works fer me," Sam smiled.

"Yeah, I'll bet," Amara said under her breathe, drawing a blush from Sam. She looked at Tabitha. "How about you?"

Tabitha, her smile now a little ragged, looked at her hands that had taken so many lives within the day, then at her friends. "Tell you after we drink up," she replied, bringing the cup to her lips. Sam and Amara followed suit.

For several seconds, the teenagers sat in silence as the wine sat in their mouths. Soon, they decided.

"P'taahhh!" Tabitha spat, leaving a dark purple stain on her sheet.

"Ugghhh!" Amara grabbed a nearby drain pan and spat into that. A disgusted looking Sam added his own.

"What a rip off!" Tabitha groaned. "I can't believe the Prof keeps that in his desk!"

Sam coughed and spat in the pan again. "Sorry, Tabs!" he replied.

"No, _I'm _sorry," Tabitha replied, rubbing her face.

"For what?"

"Well ..." Tabitha paused as she realized how much she was sorry for.

"GUMBO!!"

The three teens started as the heard the shouts and crashes upstairs. "Right now, I'm feeling sorry for the Cajun. Almost," she added.

"Quick, dump the stuff," Sam urged. Her hand glowing, Amara quickly brought the drain pan and bottle over to the sink.

Tabitha finally allowed herself to relax against the headboard. It was good to finally be back. Trouble and all.

**The End**

**Author's Notes**

And there you have it: my latest chapter/episode in my version of X men Evolution's fifth season.

Yes, this _was _heavily Tabitha-centric. It is my hope to drop most, if not all, of the New Mutants under the microscope this season.

Anyway, about the next chapter: mutiny is an ugly word, especially when it occurs close to home.


	12. The Real Deal

_**Previously on X Men Evolution**_

"_They're good kids," Xavier stated firmly. "Though a spirited bunch."_

_Roberto shook his head and blinked as he noticed the crowd of Jamies sprawled near him._

"_Are you certain you searched everywhere?" Ororo demanded._

_Jamie glanced at the crowd of clones emerging behind him. "Yeah. Everywhere."_

"_Forget it; you make too big a crowd, literally," Sam told Jamie._

"_I'll never get to go," Jamie grumbled dejectedly._

"_Forget it, Multiple; you can't handle the Danger Room," Ray said._

"_No way! If you can, I can ...."_

"_Sorry Jamie," Jubliee interrupted, blocking Jamie's path. "We're just more experienced at this than you," she concluded cheerfully as she shut the Danger Room door in his scowling face._

"_So? Still think it was ... cake?" Jamie asked as the battered students dragged themselves out._

"_You .... did this?!" Bobby groaned._

"_You're so cool to help me with my homework, Wolfsbane," Jamie remarked cheerfully._

_Rahne shook her head. "Ye've been learning too much from the Roberto and the older boys."_

"_Is that bad?" he asked, a little confused._

"_I just prefer the young Jamie, is all." Seeing his eyes widen in shock, she bared her teeth in a fierce grin._

_Jamie screamed as the beam lanced through his clone's head and his own mind filled with the sensations of that fatal shot._

"_Y'all right, James?"_

_Jamie looked at the spot where his clone had ... disappeared. "Yeah ... I think ..."_

**[**

Jamie Madrox took a deep breath as he jogged through yet another corridor. So far, so good: he could see, walk, and think straight; more than he'd managed in the past. Not that it was getting any easier.

"Oohhhhhh ..." he groaned as he found himself at yet another four-way intersection. _How many turns does this place have?!_

"Seven minutes remaining, Multiple," came the Professor's voice.

"Right," he replied, running down the left-most tunnel. He had a job to do.

Fortunately, Jamie wasn't alone.

Information swelled within his brain as the clones he had sent out into the maze disappeared, having mapped the area. So far, none of them had seen anything like what he was trying to find.

And, after a minute of wrong turns and dead-ends, it was finally in sight.

"I found it!" he reported excitedly into his com link before reminding himself to focus. Quickly, he scurried over to the small table where several devices lay. Grabbing at the largest component, Jamie sat down and began to work.

* * *

Elsewhere in the maze, Jamie Madrox gritted his teeth and continued to shuffle his feet along along the narrow floorboard. Below him stretched the large, dark hole that someone, for who knew what reason, had decided he had to cross.

"How's it going, Multiple?" came the ever-annoying voice of Scott Summers, the older kids' team leader who seemed to forget which team he was on.

"Better when you're not distracting me," he snapped as he continued to inch across the floorboard toward the small, glowing terminal on the other side.

"Just keeping you updated; remember, you have to deactivate the systems before ..."

"Ah think he get's it, ya know," interrupted the southern twang that could only come from Sam Guthrie. Jamie rolled his eyes. _Took you long enough, fearless leader._

Scott's barely-contained sigh echoed over the channel. "Five minutes."

Jamie scowled at his com badge, then looked at the alarmingly narrow board under his feet and the terminal that seemed no closer than before. _What am I doing here?_

* * *

Jamie Madrox paced in front of the doorway that seemed to mock him. "Come on, come on," he muttered. Where _were _they?

There he'd been, hauling butt to find the key that would apparently open this chamber at the center of the maze. Here he was now, sitting on his hands because the rest of his team were dragging their feet! _Should've done it all myself; you just can't count on anyone these days._

He keyed his comlink. "Are they coming yet?"

* * *

Jamie breathed a sigh of relief as his feet finally touched solid ground. "I'm on it," he told the still-annoying Summers over his comlink as he rushed toward the computer.

He barely blinked as his fingers danced over the keyboard. For some reason, computers and other machines came naturally to him; with the numerous helping heads that he always had available, absorbing the material on machines and computers took less time than anyone in the mansion. On several occasions, he had put those skills to use.

He allowed himself a slight smile as he remembered the worn-out, beaten teenagers as they crawled out of the session he'd set up for them. He may be the smallest guy in the mansion, but, behind any computer, he was unstoppable.

* * *

Jamie grimaced as the tube-shaped component slipped through his fingers and bounced on the tabletop. "Sorry," he mumbled, grabbing at the component.

"4 minutes."

"I'm almost done!" he replied, carefully sliding the component into its proper place.

* * *

"Still waaaiiiitiiinnng," Jamie murmured as he continued to pace in front of the door.

"Just stay ready," Scott ordered, drawing a scoff.

"Oh _I'm_ ready," he replied coolly. "_They're_ not."

* * *

"Ha!" Jamie exclaimed as he tapped his final key. "They're down!"

Without another word, he faded from sight.

* * *

"_Finally_," Jamie groaned. Pulling a card from his pocket, he approached the door that suddenly seemed to have lost its grin. "Ready for entry!"

"Negative," Scott replied. "Remember the plan."

"What: to _wait!?_"

* * *

"Just a few more seconds ..." Jamie insisted as he continued fastening the casing around the device.

"Two minutes, Jamie."

"And remember: you also have to reach the door with the device before ..."

"I got it!" he snapped for the first time this day. "Sorry," he quickly mumbled.

* * *

**01:30**

Jamie let out a frustrated sigh as the seconds continued to decrease. "Hellooooo? Anybody coming?" he called.

No one answered. Jamie glanced at his watch again. _Tick, tock, tick, tock ...._

* * *

"Yes!" Jamie hissed as the casing finally snapped shut. Device still in hand, he leapt up from the table and ran down the nearby hallway. "I'm coming!"

* * *

**01:00**

Jamie gritted his teeth as he glared at the door again. "Professor, how long do I gotta wait?!"

"That's up to you, Jamie," came the reply. "But the device is needed when the door opens; I suggest you wait."

**00:45**

Jamie crossed his arms._ "_Keep on waiting, keep on waiting...." he sang softly. "Wait a minute ..."

* * *

Jamie panted as he raced through the now familiar corridors. Though a mystery to him when he had first started, the entire maze was, by now, mapped out in his mind. Along with a major headache, of course.

Fortunately, one of his searching clones had found the end goal, where another impatiently waited. Navigating through the maze was no longer an issue.

Trouble is, he still had to get there. And the twists and turns of the route made it a long run.

* * *

**00:30**

Jamie shook his head. "Forget it," he declared, heading toward the doorway, keycard in hand.

"Jamie the device is on its way ..."

"And I'm outta time," he retorted.

* * *

"Just .... a .... few .... seconds ...." Jamie gasped as he rounded the next turn.

* * *

**00:15**

Jamie shook his head. "Seconds are up," he announced as he inserted the keycard into the slot.

The door slid open, revealing .....

"HRRRRAAAAAARRRRRRRRR!"

Jamie yelped and dove to the side as the dark shape pounced toward him. As he turned to face it, the shape spun and drove a limb into Jamie's chest, knocking him toward the wall.

Jamie grunted as he felt a rib give way. As he began to scrambel to his feet, he felt rough hands grab his uniform. Desperately, he drew both feet in and drove it towards what seemed to be his attacker's head.

He might as well have tried to kick through the Blackbird's hull.

Pain lanced through both of Jamie's feet as they bounced off the shape. Apparently not noticing the blow, the attacker swung Jamie around like a rag doll and and hurled him into the doorjamb.

Growling, the shape began slowly walking toward him. Jamie, himself, could not move without feeling as though a limb or bone had caught fire.

For the first time he could remember, Jamie found himself wishing he'd waited.

He grunted as the growling shape planted a booted foot on Jamie's chest. Jamie gulped as it lifted a limb ....

A sudden shower of sparks directly behind it stopped it directly in its tracks. Looking over its shoulder, it finally spoke.

"Awww, crap."

As though on cue, the walls began to fade as the simulation was finally terminated. Ignoring the downed Jamie, Logan plucked the tag from his back and turned to face the panting Jamie behind him, who was still aiming the assembled weapon as the Danger Room returned to clear view.

Nodding slightly as he approached, Logan held out a hand, "Not bad, Crowd," he grunted. As he took the gun from the younger mutant's still-shaking hands, he added. "Cut it close, though."

"Still beat your last time, though," Scott added over the intercom.

"Yes; impressive .... _teamwork _on your part," Xavier put in. "That should be enough for today."

A slight smile spread across Jamie's face as he, somewhat awkwardly, nodded towards the viewing room and backed out the door, followed by Logan. Neither of them noticed the small clone still laying where they had left it, glaring after them.

Those up in the observation booth were similarly ignorant.

"Okay .... we done here?" asked a bored Bobby sitting between Jubilee and Amara.

"Ya not havin' fun, Bobby?" queried Rahne, leaning back against Roberto, who had his arms wrapped around her waist.

"Me? I don't _do_ sitting around, remember?"

"You'd rather we switched spots with him?" Jubilee whispered.

"Good point." The two of them, along with Sam and Ray, still remembered the intense session Jamie had gotten them into years ago. "I still don't get why we gotta sit in on everybody's solo sessions."

"Because, Mr. Drake, in order work as a team, everyone must remain aware of their teammates' particular capabilities and their limits," Xavier stated as he rolled over to the group.

Bobby blinked at Xavier. "Uhhh ...."

"He means ya gotta know what yer buddies can do if ya wanna work with 'em," Sam put in from his spot at the console.

"Essentially," Xavier nodded at Sam before rolling back towards the other instructors.

Bobby shook his head. "Whatever." Before anyone could blink, he was riding his ice slide out of the room, leaving a group of shivering students in his wake.

"That dude just _ruins_ summer," Alex grumbled, crossing his arms as he and the rest of the gathered students followed the ice slide's path, their minds already drifting to their plans, or at least ideas, for the day. The instructor's minds, in contrast, remained where they had been.

"Fascinating," Hank murmured as he ran the playback of Jamie's session. "3 years, and I still cannot wrap my sadly-singular mind around his power."

"Yes; remarkable isn't it?" Xavier agreed. "Especially being able to coordinate the actions of so many .... extra selves." He cast an eye behind him. "I dare say your sessions, Rogue, are beginning to show their effect."

"Don't look at meh." The southerner shook her head. "Ah just been running a few exercises; _he's _the one figurin' it out." She nodded toward the screen. "Heck, _Ah _still cain't figure out how he does it."

Xavier looked back toward the screen, which displayed several Jamie's fanning out into several corridors. None of them looked even slightly disoriented or confused. "I still think it involves a form of .... limited telepathy."

"That's just scary, Professor," Jean remarked from her place behind Xavier. "When I could hear all my friends' thoughts, I nearly went insane. But listening to my _own_ voice all day ....?"

"Doesn't sound too bad to me," Scott grinned, wrapping his arms around Jean's waist and pulling her toward him. "I could get used to it."

"You're biased." Jean replied with a slight, teasing smile. "And did you mean _my _voice or _yours_?"

Sam suddenly coughed and slapped both hands over his mouth while the other instructors tried to hide their grins at Scott's frown.

The doors slid open, admitting an ever-scowling Logan, who eyed the various instructors. "There a joke I missed?" he growled.

"Just .... reviewing today's performance," Xavier shook his head, still smiling. "In fact, we were waiting to hear your thoughts."

Logan shrugged as he strode over to the console. "The one-man mob did good," he replied as he strode over to the console. "Just don't tell Fury; he might want in."

"Quite an endorsement," Xavier remarked, studying Logan's face as the larger man rewound the tape.

"He did abandon the plan at the end," Scott added.

Logan's face did not leave the screen. "Slim, I told ya before: following the old plan ain't always the best idea."

"Besides, that's not what's troubling you about him, is it?" Xavier asked.

Logan snarled under his breath and finally glared at Xavier. "Don't tell me ...."

"It's not your _mind _giving that away," Xavier quickly replied.

"No; you're not fooling _me_ either," Ororo put in from the middle of the room.

Defeated, Logan sighed and leaned against the nearby console. "I just .... still wonderin' if the kid's up to what we're throwin' at him. Especially with what's been goin' on."

"It has been a tumultuous summer so far." Xavier leaned back and folded both hands in his lap. "Which is all the more reason we remember what this school is here for."

"I'm talkin' about _this_ kid, Chuck," Logan snapped, jerking a thumb towards the frozen image of Jamie. "And what's been happenin' to _him_."

"I'm with Logan, Charles," Ororo added.

"Already?" Sam joked under his breath. When he finally realized he was on the end of both Ororo and Logan, he gulped and stood up. "Ah ..... think Ah hear Bobby causin' trouble .... " he mumbled as he fled through the doors.

Ororo sighed and returned her gaze to Xavier. "Charles, it's only been a few weeks since ..." she paused.

"Since he got shot in the head and lived to chat about it," Logan growled.

"I know." Xavier's expression darkened. Jamie had not been the same since that fierce battle on Institute grounds where one of his clones had been killed. Though Xavier had offered Jamie counselling, the young X man had politely refused, saying only he wasn't ready. "All we can do, for the moment, is offer our support and allow him to work through this himself."

Logan snorted. "I ain't nobody's shrink, Chuck, but take it from me: dyin' ain't something that'll clear up by mornin'."

* * *

For Jamie Madrox, the morning was still young.

Having showered and changed into more comfortable clothes after the physically and mentally gruelling session, Jamie was now in search of company.

Though it may have seemed strange that someone with a ready supply of companions at his disposal could ever get lonely, for Jamie the clones were simply extensions of himself; hardly the best of 'pals.' It was definitely nowhere close to the experience of of being around the other kids at the Institute.

_When that actually happens, you mean?_ mocked a part of himself. Jamie scowled at the thought. After all these years, he still retained the title as youngest mutant on campus, something that more often than not left him mysteriously excluded or just plain forgotten during outings by the older kids.

_Shut up_, he told himself as he headed toward his the door. It was a small enough mansion that he was sure to bump into someone soon.

As he opened the door, he started._ Didn't think it'd be that soon._

"Oh ... hey," Rogue said, one hand poised to knock and the other carrying a book under her arms.

"Hi Rogue," he replied, stepping outside. "What's up?" Though still the deadliest mutant on campus by most standards, Rogue had become one of his best friends, almost like an older sister. On several occasions she had been the one to talk him into joining in the older kids's activities without an invitation. Lately she had been running him through exercises to better coordinate his clones.

Rogue held the book toward him. "Ah finished yer book, Jamie."

"Oh." Jamie glanced at the title as he took it.HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSON'S TALES. "Which one was your favourite?"

"_The Shadow_," Rogue replied. To Jamie's frown, she added. "Where the guy becomes his own shadow's shadow?"

Jamie frowned. "I like _The Ugly Duckling._" he replied, opening the door and tossing the book onto his bed. "_The Shadow_'s just sad."

"Most of 'em were." Rogue crossed her arms and looked Jamie up and down. "Y'all right, Pack Rat?"

Jamie shrugged. "I guess so. Why?"

"Ya look .... somewhere else ...."

Jamie shook his head. "_Deja vu_," he replied. "I get that feeling whenever I'm ... too many me's."

Rogue grimaced. "Ow."

"Say, do you know where everyone's gone?" he quickly asked.

"Ah think Sam had everyone meet at the baseball diamond."

* * *

"Oh, hey Jamie," Sam said as he pulled on his baseball cap and turned toward his youngest teammate, who was standing in his doorway.

"Hey, Sam." Jamie looked at the baseball bat and glove on Sam's bed, then back at Sam. "Is there a game going on?"

"Yeah; why, ya changed yer mind?" Sam asked as he reached for his glove.

"What?"

"Well .... Jubes told me ya didn't wanna come ...."

"She said that?" Sam paused as he noticed the beginnings of what might have been a scowl form on Jamie's face.

"Ah thought she did, but ...." The scowl was unmistakable now, and the kid's eyes were beginning to redden ... "Ah mighta mis-heard ...."

"No, she was right." Jamie shook his head sharply, the scowl now fully formed. "I _don't_ want to come."

"Jamie!" Sam called, but the younger had already fled out of sight. Sam sighed and grabbed his bat, vowing to get some real answers from Jubilee.

* * *

After less than half an hour seeking company, Jamie's plan had shifted a full half-circle: he now desperately wanted to be alone.

He fought the tears that tried to escape his eyes as he stalked down the hallway. He knew he should be used to this by now; being teased, being ignored, being singled out as the youngest mutant on campus; worse, one with a 'crowd' at his disposal. So much for the fair and tolerant Xavier Institute.

Well, if they didn't want him, he could make his own fun. On his own. Again.

Finally, he reached the open door to the rec room and strode inside, thinking, with everyone at the baseball diamond, he could have some of his own fun here.

Of course, he had never figured that a couple of other students had made plans of their own.

Which is why the sight in the room stopped him, and his heart, cold.

On the television, a horror movie involving teenage werewolves was playing. In the large seat facing the movie sat a very calm-looking Rahne, who was – and it was this sight that cut into Jamie – snuggling comfortably into Roberto's large frame. At that moment, the latter's hands were already moving toward ....

Rahne's eyebrows lifted as the familiar scent reached her. "James?"

Roberto sighed and dropped his hands to the armrests. "It's _Roberto_," he replied in an annoyed tone.

"No, I mean ..." she squirmed in Roberto's lap to look toward the doorway in time to see it slam shut.

* * *

By now, any vague plans he had were forgotten. Now, his mind on nothing but what he'd just seen, Jamie ran, without a thought on either what to do next nor where he was going.

A lapse he soon regretted when he ran into the upstairs hallway and collided with a very startled Piotr.

As the large Russian grunted in surprise, Jamie bounced back into the floor, at which point his instincts kicked in for the first time in years and triggered his mutant power.

Within seconds, a crowd of Jamies had formed and was spreading across the floor, drawing curious X children through their doors before they either jumped out of the way or got tripped up and drawn into the pile of Jamie Madrox.

Kitty, having just showered to fix her hair, was just leaving the girls' washroom clad in two towels when one of the Jamies collided with her, bringing her down to the floor with him.

As the multiplying finally subsided, and the others began to pick themselves up, Jamie shook his head and sat up in time to hear Kitty shriek, "_WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM, JAMIE?!!!_"

As the clones' memories flowed into him, Jamie suddenly realized what position he'd caught Kitty in. "Sorry, Kitty!" he cried, instinctively slapping both palms over his eyes. "I wasn't looking; I swear!" A door slamming was the only reply, followed by chuckles from nearby boys.

"This your new way of asking her out?" Bobby joked, causing most of the nearby boys, and several girls, to laugh even harder.

"Hey; need a hand?" Ray asked, reaching down towards Jamie. "No wait; you got a few spare dozen lying around, right?" The laughs grew louder.

"De man knows his way around, no?" added a smirking Remy. Though his voice usually drew glares, this time it added to the laughter.

Jamie's face darkened as the laughs added to the weight the day had already dealt him. This was all too old, yet it hurt just as it always did. Without a word, he stood up, marched past a still-laughing Bobby and a confused Piotr until he reached his room, and slammed the door behind him.

The laughter quickly died down. "Woah," Bobby breathed. "And I thought Logan's sessions put _me _in a bad mood."

"Yeah, that's _has _t'be it," Sam added sarcastically. "C'mon, y'all; yer _fun's _over."

As the gathered students began making their way toward the staircase, Bobby glared over his shoulder at Sam. "Man, can _nobody _take a joke, now?"

"Not yours," Alex muttered under his breath.

Piotr looked over at Remy, who still stood within the doorway of their room. "I will never understand American humour, comrade; zhat did _not _look like fun."

The Cajun thief grinned. "_Donnez-lui le temps_, _mon ami_; it grows on everybody," he replied, clapping the larger Russian on the shoulder.

"All right, they'll be waitin' for ya, Petey," Sam interrupted, pointedly ignoring the Cajun thief.

Piotr frowned. "Only me?" He glanced at Remy.

"Not to worry, _hommes,_" Remy replied coolly as he slipped past Sam and Piotr. "Invite or none, I go where I feel. Now, dat be where _les bonnnes_ _temps _be."

As the thief slipped down the staircase, Piotr sighed. "I will keep an eye out for him. Are you coming?"

"Ah'll be a minute." As Piotr lumbered down the stairs after Remy, Sam shook his head and looked back towards Jamie's door in time to see a concerned-looking Rogue knocking on it. "Hey, Jamie?"

"Leave me alone."

"Look, that was stupid o'them ...."

"I SAID GO AWAY!!!" Jamie screamed.

Rogue and Sam both started at the younger kid's tone. Rogue looked over at Sam, who shrugged. Sighing, Rogue returned her attention to the door. "Ah'll see ya later," she called before turning away from the door.

* * *

_It is way too crowded in here._

Jamie brought his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. Already, he could think of nothing but memories he'd rather forget.

_Forget it; you're too big a crowd!_

His mind raced, and the tears finally flowed as he thought of the jokes, and the laughs that usually followed them; of the downward looks he saw all around him, from adults who pitied him and the older kids who tried to ignore him.

_Sorry, Jamie; we're just more experienced at this than you!_

Jamie's knuckles whitened. He was sick of it all. Sick of being someone's target, someone's pet project; sick of being hid behind during missions, thanks to his supply of 'expendable' clones, while being left behind at the mansion during off-time.

_No room for all of you!_

Jamie bowed his head as his thoughts turned to a certain friend with red hair and a rolling accent, cuddling up with that jerk. If only he'd had the nerve to ....

_No!_

Jamie gasped as he realized where his thoughts were turning, and pulled away as fast as his mind could move. No way; that wasn't him.

"So how long are you gonna keep taking it?"

Jamie froze. The voice was familiar, and yet impossible.

"Over here, stupid."

Jamie jumped to his feet and looked around. Except for himself, and his reflection in the door's mirror, the room was empty.

Suddenly, that reflection sighed and stepped to the side. Past the edge of the mirror. "Can you see me now?"

Jamie took an involuntary step back, and found himself tripping over the edge of the bed.

"Man, you _are _dense." The look-alike in front of him shook his head and began to stroll around the room.

Jamie finally found his voice. "Wh-what are you?"

"Duh!" The look-alike slapped his forehead. "What do you think? One of your spares, extras, helping hands ...."

"I didn't call you." Jamie shook his head. "This is a dream, isn't it?"

"Yeah," the clone snorted. "Keep telling yourself that."

"Thanks, I will." Jamie stood and, ignoring the clone, headed for the door.

The moment he opened it, two pairs of arms grabbed his elbows and dragged him back inside the room and shoved him back toward the bed.

As he looked, Jamie froze at what he saw.

Another clone was closing the door and leaning against the nearby wall, aping the posture of a third clone. "Oh God ...."

"God's not coming," the first clone sneered. "It's just us now."

"Us?"

The clone snapped both fingers, and several more smirking clones materialized out of him.

_This can't be happening. _Closing his eyes, Jamie concentrated on reabsorbing the clones.

"Don't bother," the clone snapped. "See, while you've been sending us to do you your dirty work, using us for shields ...." The clone clenched his fists. "Making us listen to all that _crap_ you lie down and take, we've been learning a few things." The group of clones began to surround Jamie. "Now we're getting off the train for good."

"I don't get it." Jamie began to crawl away from the clones, discreetly pinching his arm. Even for a dream, this was _too _weird. "What do you want?"

Finally, the clone smiled; or, at least bared his teeth. "Let's just say it's time for a change."

Before Jamie could say another word, the clones were upon him.

"No!" Jamie shouted as several hands seized him, before yet another appeared behind him and clamped a hand over his mouth. Without a word, they pushed him onto his back, pulling at his limbs until he was on his back, arms and legs pinned to the mattress. Without taking its eyes off Jamie, the first clone calmly reached for his pillow and brought it above Jamie's face. Without blinking, he lowered it and pressed it upon Jamie's face.

Jamie let out a muffled scream and thrashed about, trying to break something free, break _anything _free.

Instead, he felt the clones' grips tighten and the pressure on his face increase. Already it was getting dark, and he was getting sleepy ....

* * *

Jamie gasped and shot up to a sitting position. Darkness still surrounded him.

He took another shaking breath. At least he could breathe now. But why couldn't he see?

Then he noticed his closet and the doorway slowly coming into view. Jamie let out another, slower breath.

_A dream, it was a dream. I'm alive, in my room with the lights off._

Quickly, he rolled off the bed and looked around. No smirking clones face him.

His heart slowed as he finally noticed his own reflection in the mirror. Quickly, he averted his gaze; something about that face still scared him. In fact, now that he thought of it, the whole darkened room was creeping him out.

At the very least, he decided, he could shed some light. Walking carefully towards the door, he reached out and flicked the switch.

Nothing happened.

Jamie frowned, and flicked the switch several more times. The room remained dark.

Jamie sighed. So his bad day wasn't over yet. Turning toward the window, he decided that, if his lights weren't working, at least he could let the sun in.

As he pulled the blinds, his heart sank.

A steel cover greeted him.

* * *

"Hello?" he called as he stepped out into the front hallway. No one answered.

_Okay, stay cool_, he told himself. Even if this was another dream, best he try to survive it anyway; at least until he woke up. And, for now, that meant finding the others.

His mind wandered back to the metal covering his window; to the memories it brought up.

_Find the others._

That had been his first thought the last time this had happened, when Mystique had taken the Professor's place, trapped everyone inside and set it to blow. Those had been his first thoughts when he'd seen the cover slide over his window. He'd been lucky that time; he'd only had to step outside his room before running into Rahne. And, when the guns had begun firing, he'd dove between Rahne and one of the shots, receiving only a minor burn. It had been then that Roberto had shown up and told them about the other four gathering in the computer room.

But this was different; the mansion was still clearly sealed in, but everything else seemed dead. Not a sound reached him.

"Jamie?"

"Yaaahh!" he yelped. _Spoke too soon._

"Hey, hey, cool it," coaxed an iced-up Bobby.

"Easy for _you_," grumbled Kitty as she phased them both through the floor. "Like, where have you been, Jamie?"

"Uhh ..." Jamie looked over the two X men; both were in full uniform, and both looked as though they'd just escaped one of Logan's sessions. "What's going on?"

Bobby blinked. "Youhaven't heard?"

"I was asleep!" Jamie snapped.

"This whole time?" Bobby continued to study Jamie.

"Leave it, Bobby," Kitty interrupted. "We got more people to find." Holding out a hand, she added. "Come on; I'll get you to the Professor."

One slide through solid matter later, Kitty led Jamie through the door leading to what Xavier had traditionally described as the briefing room, though many had taken to calling it the War Room.

SNIKT

Jamie yelped as he found his neck on the sharp end of two blades ...

"Easy, Laura," growled Logan from his position on the other side of the entrance. "They're all right." Frowning, Laura returned her arm to her side, claws still extended.

Jamie took a look around. The only light in the room came from glowing stones Amara was still placing around the room. Near the front, by the darkened screen, crouched Mr. McCoy as he fiddled with the wires inside the machine. Nearby sat the Professor, his hands at his temple and his eyes shut tight. Near another corner of the room sat Alex, Kurt, and Rogue, the latter already rising to her feet and hurrying towards the newest arrival. "Hey; are y'okay?"

"Yeah ...." Jamie mumbled, still staring around the room. "Where is everybody?"

Rogue sighed and put a hand on his shoulder, leading him over to Alex and Kurt. "Ororo took Scott, Jean, and Sam over to the infirmary to check on Tabitha; we're still lookin' fer everyone else."

"Looking for ...?" Jamie looked around the room again, wondering if he had yet to wake up. "What happened?"

Rogue shrugged and shook her head. "Something's wrong with the Institute's systems; just an hour ago, it all went Def4 and then went dead."

"Why?"

"I'm afraid we're very much in the dark on that question, Jamie," Xavier interrupted as he opened his eyes. "Hank, any progress?"

The instructor's rumbling sigh echoed through the room as he pulled his head out of the bulkhead. "There's no apparent damage to any of the relays here; they're simply not receiving power. Any word from the infirmary?"

Xavier nodded. "I just communicated with Jean: Tabitha's unharmed, but still too weak to move; they've decided to set up in the infirmary, in case the worst occurs ...."

Hank grimaced. "Well, they'll be stuck with needles and squeezebags unless I can get power back."

"Any thoughts?"

Hank rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, undamaged components not receiving power .... suggests a problem further up the line .... perhaps the main generator ...." His face snapped towards Xavier. "Charles, I know you'd rather we stuck to large groups, but I _do _need to take a look at that generator ..."

Xavier sighed and bowed his head. "Very well, Hank; but at least don't go alone." He looked over the gathered students. "Rogue?"

The southerner straightened up and took a step towards Xavier. "Yeah?"

"I need you to accompany Hank; watch his back and give him whatever assistance he needs."

Rogue nodded sharply. "You got it."

"I'll come too ...." Jamie began.

"Actually, Jamie, I'd rather you assisted in the search, if you feel up to it," Xavier interrupted.

"Professor, I can help ....!"

"Yes, I know," Xavier cut in as Hank and Rogue slipped through the door. "And you can also cover more ground than the rest of the team combined, so I need your help finding unaccounted for you find them, send them either here or the infirmary, whichever is nearer." Xavier laid a hand on each of Jamie's shoulders. "How about it, my boy? Can I rely on you?"

A slight smile began to form on Jamie's face. "Yes, sir."

* * *

"Hello?" Jamie called as he stepped into another hallway. Quickly, he waved his borrowed flashlight beam around the room, revealing yet more walls, floors, and no movement.

It had been this way since he set out. Since leaving the War Room, there hadn't been the slightest sign of life in any of the rooms he'd checked.

He tried anyway. "Anyone .... accck!" he squeaked as several glowing spikes pierced the darkness, stopping just short of his neck. _Not again! _"Uhhh ..... Evan, it's .... me?!" he said hesitantly.

The spikes hovered in front of him for a second before most of them retracted. "Sorry," Evan said flatly, pulling the last spike from his body and swinging it around in a circle. As it caught fire, he glanced casually at Jamie. "So what are you doing out here?"

Jamie finally found his voice. "M-ME?!!!" he shook his head sharply and clapped both of his hands to it. "Have you been paying attention?!" When the larger mutant's expression didn't change, he tried again. "This ... _place_ just went all .... _nightmare _mode, you're wandering around alone in the dark, and you haven't even asked me ....?!!"

"What's going on?" As Jamie's mouth remained open, Evan shrugged and continued. "Nothing I haven't seen around here before." His eyes narrowed. "And I grew up in the dark." He finally looked back at Jamie. "So: where is everybody? And what _is _going on?"

Jamie suddenly found it impossible to speak.

* * *

"Why can't this place _stay_ fixed?" Rogue grumbled as Hank ripped the inoperable door from its hinges.

"Our time of strife, with little lapse, yet the home stands, never to collapse."

Rogue raised an eyebrow at Hank. "Okay; who said _that_?"

"No idea," Hank replied cheerfully as he sauntered over to the generator.

* * *

_What is it with people pointing their weapons at me?_ Jamie thought as he stared at the glowing card in front of his face.

"You pick a bad time to sneak up on people, _tres petite_," Remy stated as he lowered the card. "'Specially wit' de noise y'make," he added with a smirk.

Jamie sighed; this was getting old. "I'm looking for the others; you seen any of them?" he asked quickly.

"_Non_," the thief replied, putting his card away, with a scowl, in his pants pocket.

Jamie blinked and stared at the thief; something was off. "Have you even been _looking_?"

"_Ouais_." Remy turned away from Jamie and lifted the card, casting its light onto the hallway. "But I got some business dat won't wait." He glanced over his shoulder at Jamie. "Not to worry; I'll be along."

"Business .... ?" Jamie's mouth hung open. "During a _blackout?! _When everyone's missing, and- !?"

"Dey look after demselves," Remy replied, strolling down the hallway. "What I seek cannot."

"Is this a ridd- oh ...." Jamie looked over the thief again and realized what was different about him. "Did you lose your _coat?!_" he asked, fighting a snicker.

"_N'allez pas la_," Remy warned, aiming the card back towards Jamie.

"Nully who? Never mind, forget it. Anyway, most of us are gathered in ...."

"No trouble, _petite ami_," Remy smiled as he backed toward the shadows. "I'll find 'em,"

"But I'm supposed to .... hey! Wait up!" Jamie yelled, running after Remy. Only Remy was already gone.

* * *

"Anythin'?" Rogue asked as she paced in front of a prone Hank, whose head was buried yet again in the Institute's machinery.

Hank growled and pulled himself out from the generator. "No physical damage _here_, either." After rolling to his feet, he began to pace himself. "In fact, I haven't seen the slightest _hint_ of damaged or corroded hardware anywhere." He began to paw at the hair under his chin.

"What about that gizmo those cyber-psychos dropped in on us?"

"Nice thought." The scratching had quickened. "But no, even an electromagnetic pulse would leave signs; overheated circuits, shorted out cables ..." Shaking his head, he continued. "For all intents and purposes, our systems seem to have simply .... shut down."

"How?"

"_Therein _lies the mystery!" Hank exclaimed, his voice rising slightly. "No damage at any of our key systems that could trigger such a shutdown ...."

"What about the main computer?"

Hank froze for several seconds before a grin broke out on his face. "You _have _been paying attention."

* * *

_I quit here and now. _Jamie froze as a low growl reached him.

Suddenly the growling ceased. "James?" asked a soft, rolling voice.

Jamie spun. "_Rahne?!_"

Within seconds, the fearsome wolf before him was replaced by his red-headed friend trapping him in a fierce hug. "Lord, James! I been wonderin' where you were. All o' you," she quickly added.

Jamie said nothing and simply returned the embrace, feeling relief for the first time that day.

At least until he felt the pain in his neck.

Jamie grimaced as someone roughly yanked him away from Rahne and shoved him into the wall.

"Roberto, stop!" he heard Rahne yell. "It's Jamie!"

Jamie finally opened his eyes and squinted at Roberto's glowing, and glowering, face. With a slight sniff, the Brazilian released his neck, dropping him toward the floor. "Sorry; thought you were someone else," he said coldly. Jamie was too busy gasping through his bruised throat to answer.

With a passing glare at Roberto, Rahne knelt next to Jamie and laid a hand on his arm. "Are ye okay?"

Jamie nodded, then looked up at the other two. "Professor .... sent me to find everyone ...." he gasped. "Have you seen Ray? Or Jubilee?"

Rahne nodded. "Aye. They're in the rec room," she replied, helping him to his feet. "Did ye find everyone else?"

"Yeah; they're in the War room and the infirmary."

"All of them?" Rahne did not look convinced.

"Well, Evan and Magneto's guy ran off, and Bobby's looking around too ...."

"No he ain't," Roberto murmured casually, his expression unreadable.

"What?" Jamie looked at Roberto and Rahne, the latter of whom had taken on a grim expression. "How do you know? What happened?"

* * *

"It shut down."

"What?" Rogue turned away from her scrutiny of the entrance and stepped over toward Hank, who was staring intently into a computer screen he had plugged a portable power unit into.

Hank frowned, his eyes not leaving the screen. "According to these logs, someone entered a command to ...." He sucked in an involuntary breath through clenched teeth. "To shut down all Institute systems!"

"What?!" Rogue shot an astonished look at the screen, reminded herself why she had avoided computer class, and looked back at Hank. "How? Why?"

"_Two _excellent questions." Hank typed feverishly. "It seemed they programmed a virus to .... hmmmm ...." he growled softly as his fingers flew over the keyboard. "Transfer functions to another terminal?" He snarled to himself. "They locked out this terminal, and took control on their own!" He finally looked over at Rogue. "Which begs two further, all-too-common questions: _Who_ did this, and _Where _are they now?"

* * *

"Hey!" Jamie yelled, ducking the electric bolt that hurtled out of the slightly ajar door to the rec room. "Will you quit it already?!!!"

The barrage stopped. "Who is that" Ray called.

"It's us, Ray; Jamie's with us," Rahne called back.

After several seconds, the doorway swung open. "Come on," Ray snapped, waving toward the room behind him.

Instead, Jamie crossed his arms. "Somebody wanna tell me why everyone's taking shots at me?"

"Just get in the room," Roberto snapped.

"No!" Jamie snapped. "I'm not moving until someone tells me why they're freaking out over a power outage!"

The three in front of him glanced at each other. "Power outage?!" he heard Jubilee call from inside the room, her voice shaking.

"I think ye better see somethin', James," Rahne said solemnly.

* * *

"I'm going to try my own viral intrusion," Hank stated, his fingers dancing again. "With any luck, I should be able to slip under the virus's radar, or at least highlight its form ...."

Suddenly, the door behind them swung open. "Oh, hello," said a surprised Rogue as she recognized the new arrival. Waving towards the computer screen, she added, "c'mon; I think ya oughta see this."

"What is it?"

Rogue frowned; her fellow x man had never sounded that cold. "Someone snuck a virus into the computer and shut us down," she replied. "We're trying to take a shot at it."

* * *

In his early years at the Institute, Jamie had always been one of the more cheerful, outgoing types. He would fearlessly invite himself into games with the older kids, take on homework and Danger Room sessions as though they were games, and laugh off the teasing from the older kids, though the latter often involved a prank or two to settle things. It had taken truly traumatic events such as the mutants' outing, the battle against Apocalypse, and the more recent and deadly fight with the Reavers to drive him into a more somber mood.

The sight in front of him definitely qualified.

An unconscious Bobby lay draped across the sofa, a puddle of sweat – or was it water? - forming around him. "What happened?"

"We found him in one of the hallways," whispered Jubilee, who knelt next to Bobby's head.

* * *

"I say," Hank piped up as he typed away, "Weren't you supposed to be ...."

"NO-!"

Hank spun around in time to see Rogue standing behind him, her body convulsing. As she fell, Hank stared aghast at his other student, still holding the sparking rod. "Stars ..." he breathed.

Then something struck him in the back, pouring white-hot pain through his nerves ....

**[**

**An Hour Later**

Xavier's face was heavy as he looked over the infrimary's three newest patients; those conscious looked equally grim. "Are you sure you saw no sign of their attacker?" he asked quietly.

Evan, his face unreadable, shook his head. "Nope." The young mutant hardly said a word since he had dragged the unconscious Rogue and Hank through the infirmary doors. When Roberto's group had brought the downed Bobby, Xavier had ordered everyone he could reach to gather in the infirmary, resulting in very a crowded room. The sheer physical density was contradicted by the psychic strain he could sense.

It made itself known in other ways as well.

"You mind telling us what you were doing up there?" Scott demanded.

Evan shrugged without looking at Scott. "Looking around."

"For what?"

Evan finally turned his glare toward Scott. "For whoever did _this_," he spat, jerking a spiked thumb towards the infirmary beds.

"So you knew someone was here." Scott had his arms crossed and his own hidden glare on Evan. "How?"

"Forget this, man," Evan sniffed as he turned to leave.

"I don't think you heard me." Scott had stepped into Evan's path, his arms still crossed.

"Oh, I heard you," Evan growled. Raising his hand near his own face, he added. "Can you see _this_?" A spike slid slowly out of his wrist.

Scott's visor glowed.

"Stop this! Both of you!" Ororo snapped, stepping forcefully between the two boys.

"Men," grumbled Tabitha from the wheelchair she had claimed.

Near the front, Laura shook her head and sighed. "These _kids _are such amateurs," she hissed at Logan.

"No argument, kid," Logan grunted back. Ignoring her pointed scowl, he added, "But they're _our _amateurs."

"This is not getting us anywhere," Xavier insisted once Scott and Evan had calmed down slightly. "Before we act, we need information. For instance, I can't detect Gambit: has anyone seen him?"

"All y'had to do was call," drawled the familiar voice near the doorway. All eyes went to the doorway where the Cajun leaned against a doorway, still clad only in the pants, shirt, and boots he'd taken from the Acolytes.

"Where have you been, comrade?" queried Piotr, who leaned against the wall by the doorway.

"Around." As he sauntered into the suddenly silent room, his eyes darted toward Rogue, then the others on the infirmary beds. "Heard de party was gatherin' here, but it looks to me like de fun ended 'fore it began."

"In a manner of speaking," Xavier stated. Rolling to the head of the room, he turned to face the gathered mutants. "X men, you all know what we face. Someone has infilitrated the Institute, crippled our systems, shut us inside, and recently begun attacking us. We need answers soonest. Scott?"

Nodding smartly, Scott stepped up on a nearby chair. "All right, we need to split into large teams: one at the scene of each attack, and the rest to guard the infirmary. Any volunteers?"

* * *

Kitty knelt near the puddle of water, trying not to think about who it used to belong to. "What could've done this?" She whispered.

"What else?" Logan grunted, sniffing the air. "Combustibles, charred walls ...." he growled under his breath. "Someone tried to cook him for dinner,"

"Don't look like Bobby put up much of a fight," Ray murmured, leaning against the wall.

"But that doesn't make any sense," Kitty protested, looking around the wide hallway. "There's nowhere to hide here; no _way_ Bobby wouldn't have seen them coming."

"Don't be so sure, half pint. There's some real sneaky guys around," Logan muttered. "Hey, Latino; how'd you find him?"

Roberto, after snorting at the nickname, stepped toward the puddle. "Lyin' on his back right there," he stated, waving towards the floor.

"So someone hit him from the front," Ray mused. "an' he _still _didn't fight back."

"That don' sound lahke Bobby," Sam added, staring at the puddle.

"No," Logan agreed. "It don't."

* * *

Kurt hopped up towards the ceiling of the generator room, hoping a high view would allow him to see something he couldn't find on the ground. For the moment, all he could see was the team he'd brought: Laura prowling the ground, sniffing furiously, a nervous, shifting Alex standing guard near the entrance, Amara passing another glowing fireball to yet another Jamie clone – Kurt had lost count by now – who immediately set off into one of the large room's dark corners; and his sister's limp form being dragged into the infirmary ....

Kurt grimaced and shook his head. _Focus_ he told himself. Best to concentrate on finding who had done this to her. If that were possible.

With that thought, he pushed off from the ceiling and landing next to Laura. "Any scents?" he asked. Her deathly glare told him all he needed to know. "Okay, I get it: same as before."

Laura allowed herself a small smile as she returned to her search, then realized how often she'd been doing that since she had joined the team. It unsettled her, in some way: how often she'd come to relax her guard around these people. Well, at least they had the recurring crises to keep her sharp. Ironic really: Xavier and Logan, when they'd introduced her to the Institute, had emphasized that this was somewhere she could begin again; be free from HYDRA missions and living on the run. And yet here she was, being called on for her skills she'd developed at HYDRA. _Maybe I'll never escape that past ...._

"Hey?"

Laura hissed and shifted into a back stance, claws extended. _Or maybe you __are__ dropping your guard._

"Woah! Don't slice me!" Jamie quickly stammered, his suddenly white knuckles gripping the rod he held.

Laura lowered her claws. "What's that?" she growled.

Still shaking, he held the rod out toward her. "I .... I found it over there ...." He stopped as Laura snatched it from his hands and brought it towards her face, her nose twitching.

"You've wiped out all the old scents," she growled.

Jamie grimaced and hung his head. "Sorry ...." he mumbled.

"Let me see zhat," Kurt interrupted. After glaring for another second at Jamie, Laura silently handed the rod to Kurt.

After examining it for a few seconds, Kurt looked up. "I've .... seen zhis before."

* * *

"Anything?" Xavier asked as Jean looked over a still-unconscious Bobby.

Jean sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "He's breathing now; it might take a day to clear ..... whatever's in his lungs ...." Her breath quickened, and it suddenly seemed impossible to speak.

"He's alive, Jean." Scott reached out and squeezed her hand. "Remember that."

"Can you tell us anything about what attacked him?" Xavier continued.

Jean took a slow breath and returned her attention to Bobby. "There's burns all over his body – second-degree, I think." She looked over her shoulder towards a pale-looking Jubilee. "Jubilee, you said you found him in a puddle of water?" The younger girl nodded silently, her eyes still on Bobby. "Then whatever did this melted straight through his ice armor and nearly ...." she trailed off as she sensed waves of panicked thoughts behind her.

Also sensing the spike of emotion, Xavier calmly asked. "What about the other two?"

Somewhat relieved, Jean stepped over to the still bodies of Rogue and Hank. "As far as I can tell, they're still breathing, but ..." she poked at a spot on Rogue's arm; the southerner didn't twitch. "Someone used an electric shock of some kind; paralyzed every nerve I've tested so far..."

"For good?" Evan asked quietly from where he stood near Hank, far from the rest of the group.

"No," Jean replied. "It was a quick shock. They should be back on their feet in a .... few days." Evan said nothing, but his glare seemed to darken.

Suddenly, Xavier's face glazed over.

* * *

_Are you certain, Kurt?_

_Absolutely; Professor! I just took a hit from zhat during yesterdays session!_

_Hmmm; it certainly explains the injuries Hank and Rogue sustained ...._

_Are zhey OKAY!!!_

_They will be, Kurt._

_So someone's takin' apart the Danger Room_ Logan grunted over the mindlink.

_It certainly seems that way_ Xavier replied. _Perhaps that is where they've taken control of the systems as well._

_Ve'll check it out! _Kurt exclaimed.

_Kurt, wait for Logan's team .... _But Kurt had already left the mindlink.

* * *

_I am sick of teleporting_, Laura grumbled to herself as she found herself inside the Danger Room. At least, that's what she assumed it was; what she saw didn't exactly confirm anything.

"Dude, I can't see a thing," Alex grumbled. He winced as flames emerged from Amara's body, though they barely pierced the dark void surrounding them.

"Are you certain we're in the Danger Room?" Laura demanded.

"I've been here longer zhan you; I know my vay around" Kurt stated. "Now, let's see vhat ve can find. I can get to zhe control tower; Jamie, you know computers, right?" Nodding quickly, the younger X man grabbed the blue furry hand. Both disappeared in a flash of dust and brimstone.

Snorting to drive the foul stench from her nose, Laura glared at Amara and Alex. "Stay right there." Without another word, she broke into a run toward the nearest wall.

"Dude; who put _her _in charge?" Alex grumbled.

Ignoring Alex, Amara looked around the darkened room. "Let's try to get some light in here," she suggested. As a glowing stone formed in her hand, she looked over at Alex. "Can you give me a hand?"

Laura took a deap breath as she neared the wall. So far, the only scents that registered were those of her companions. Best to be thorough, however.

* * *

Up in the control tower, Kurt hung on the ceiling, swinging impatiently as Jamie worked at the computer. "Anyzhing?"

"Maybe ..." Jamie punched at some keys. "Did you guys leave the computer on when you finished this morning."

"Of course not; vhy?"

Jamie leaned in toward the screen "Well, it's on now."

"_You _didn't turn it on?"

"No ....." Jamie's eyes remained glued to the screen as he clicked and typed his way through several menus. "Last login ...." He suddenly straightened up. "An hour ago?"

* * *

"Ow!" Alex hissed as he felt his hand begin to burn. Dropping the glowing stone in his hand, he began to shake it furiously.

Amara cringed at the sight. "Sorry!" she whispered. "You shoot lasers from those hands, so I thought ...."

"Yeah, well, live and learn." Alex muttered. "Maybe you better .... woah."

"What is it?" Following his gaze, Amara noticed first the glowing stone on the ground, then the large opening in the wall behind it.

* * *

"Can you tell vhat vhat program zhey vere running?" Kurt asked.

"Hang on." Several silent seconds passed, filled only with the clicking keys. "Ummmm ... Kurt?"

"Vhat is it?"

Jamie finally turned toward Kurt, his face ashen. "They .... they didn't run _any_ programs."

"Vhat?!" Kurt hopped from the ceiling towards the nearby viewscreen. "Vhy'd zhey turn it on?!"

Jamie wrung his hands before answering. "They .... they went right to the source code, rewrote all the codes .... Kurt they got the whole system!"

* * *

"I _told _you to stay where you were," Laura snapped as she crawled along the wall toward the opening.

Amara flared up slightly before calming down. "Laura, look," she yelled, pointing towards the opening she and Alex had been examining. "Someone cut their way in here; it's missing a lot of the "

"You are contaminating the scent trail."

"Did you not ...!"

"There's a scent trail?" Alex asked. "Whose?"

* * *

"Can you find out who ...?"

"No," Jamie snapped, typing furiously. "They didn't exactly sign their name, you know."

"Vhat about getting zhe power back?"

"I'm trying!" Jamie snapped. "This guy made a lot of changes in a lot of spots; I don't know how long ..." He suddenly stopped and looked up. "You hear that?"

Kurt's ears pricked up. "I zhink so," he whispered, landing on the floor and facing the back of the control room.

* * *

"Right now, all I can smell is you two," Laura growled, stabbing her right arm into a new spot so her back was to the bulkhead.

"But you said there was a scent trail; was there or not?!" Amara asked impatiently.

"There is."

"So? What'd he smell like?" Alex asked. "Human, mutant, machine oil, aftershave, extra crispy, what?"

Laura looked toward the opening, her expression still cold. "He smelled ..... familiar."

"What, an old friend of yours?" Alex asked, a little surprised.

Laura's glare turned toward him. "No."

* * *

_Kurt, can you hear me?_ Xavier demanded.

_Professor?_

_Kurt! I told you to wait for Logan!_

_Professor, ve found zhe hacker's computer!_

_Are you certain?_

_Absolutely. And_ .... Xavier sensed a sound outside the room distracting Kurt. _I zhink somevone's outside ...._

* * *

Amara groaned. "Laura, we can't play Twenty Questions right now: who is it?" She took a step toward Laura, who was still guardedly watching Alex and Amara. "Who's the intruder?"

Laura snarled. "There _is _no intruder."

* * *

_We're on our way, Elf, _Logan growled through his mind. _Can you ...?_

_PROFESSOR, WATCH OUT, IT'S ....!_ Kurt suddenly went silent.

The sudden explosion of glass rang through the Danger Room, drawing Laura, Alex, and Amara's attention to the control tower. And the shape flying out of it ....

Acting on instincts HYDRA had _not_ taught her, Laura waiting, calculating the objects distance, trajectory, and speed, then shoved against the wall, hurling herself toward the falling shape. The timing had to perfect ....

She slammed into the falling Nightcrawler, driving him on a new angle toward the ground. Tucking her head in, she crashed into the ground, rolling to absorb the impact and shield Nightcrawler's body.

"HELP!!!" she heard the younger mutant, Multiple Man, scream. "SOMEONE HELP!!!"

"Jamie!" Amara yelled, running toward the control room.

* * *

_Kurt? Kurt, anyone! Respond!_

"Professor?" Jean asked, noticing the growing fear from Xavier.

"Something's happened to Kurt," Xavier stated. _Logan, get to the Danger Room immediately! _"Everyone else, stay where you are .. Evan!" he snapped as the spiked mutant charged out of the infirmary.

"I'll get him," said a grim-faced Scott as he pursued Evan. After throwing an apologetic look at Xavier, Ororo set after them both.

And then the lights came on.

* * *

Amara cried out and swung her face towards the ground as the overhead lights cut through the darkness. Nearby, she could hear Alex cry out as the blinding light hit him as well. At the other end of the room, Laura snarled and shut her eyes as the light hit her enhanced eyes.

Suddenly, the hum of machinery reached her ears; a sound she, after weeks of training daily in this room, knew all too well.

Shoving Nightcrawler's form under the control room, she leapt into the air seconds before a beam struck her position.

Near the center of the room, Alex looked up in time to see a swarm of orbs hurtling toward him and Amara. _Not again!_ Shoving Amara aside, he began firing a series of beams towards the swarm.

Suddenly a glowing column of flame slammed into the swarm. "Come on!" Amara yelled, grabbing his shoulder and pointing toward the prone Kurt. "We need him to ...." She fell silent as a beam slammed into her body, driving her to into the ground.

"Amara!" Alex yelled. Noticing a turret swivelling to track him, he fired, shredding the turret. After checking to see if Amara's flames had died down, he reached down, hoisted Amara over his shoulder and ran.

_New Objective: Survive!_ Laura's mind thought of little else as she hopped from turret to turret, pausing only long enough slice through it's housing.

Then she saw the pair running for the control room. _Not the mission!_ she reminded herself, turning toward another turret.

Alex grunted as a beam slammed into the bulkhead near his position. _Don't quit yet, bro_ he could almost hear his brother coax. With a grunt, he redoubled his pace. _Pass out later; I'm not losing this one!_ he ordered, imaging his cargo had green hair.

Seeing this, Laura shook her head. _Amateurs; they'll never make it. _

_They're our amateurs. _Laura paused.

_You better be in a waking mood, blueboy._ Alex grimaced as he continued towards the prone Kurt.

Suddenly he heard a shredding noise behind him and skidded to a stop.

"Keep moving!" Laura snapped without looking at Alex as the remains of several spiked wheels clattered to the floor. "And keep your eyes open."

"Whatever." Alex continued to run while Laura ran behind him, her eyes on the many incoming weapons.

As he finally reached Kurt, he quickly laid Amara on the ground and knelt next to Kurt. Though the sight of Kurt's bleeding, glass-ridden body gave him pause, he remembered the room around him and began shaking the "Duuude. You've had your nap; could use a lift right now!"

Laura batted several more weapons out of the air.

"Kurt! Blueboy! Elf! Little Mystique! Whatever!" Alex shouted, slapping Kurt's still face. "Need a port; wake up!"

Laura growled; this was a waste of time.

"NEED PORT! RIGHT NAAAHHHH!"

Laura whirled in time to see Alex crumple to the ground while the section of bulkhead withdrew to its original position. At least, it tried before Laura leapt toward the shaft connecting it to the wall and cleanly sliced through it.

Panting, she looked around. None of the remaining weapons seemed to target her or the fallen X men. _Then why ...? _Then she noticed the small camera behind the wall, and the question fled, replaced by a new idea.

After impaling the camera, Laura leapt toward the wall and climbed quickly towards the small structure at the top of the large room.

After carving a hole in the bottom of the structure, she climbed up and emerged into the control room, ready to face ....

Nothing.

She whipped her gaze around. Nobody was present except the unconscious Multiple Man lying near the control panel.

She took a deep breath as she backed toward a corner of the room. No foreign scents present here. No surprise: in all her searches during the blackout, she had not detected a single scent out of place. No intruders could be present.

That left only one possible explanation.

Fortunately, he'd left his scent all over the room.

In fact, he was right behind her.

Laura screamed as a long, sharp object suddenly penetrated her shoulder, emerging at the other end covered in blood. Twisting despite the pain, she jerked the weapon free of her attacker's hands.

Now he was right in front of her. Though the long coat hid his form, his scent was unmistakable. "You thought you could hide from me?" she hissed.

"Who's hiding?"

"You _were_," she growled. Raising her claws to her face, she added, "And you should not have stopped."

"Why not?" The traitor seemed almost bored.

"For starters ...." spikes emerged from her boots. "You're alone."

"No I'm not."

Pain ran through Laura's nerves as another sharp object slashed across her calf. Hissing with rage rather than pain, she swung her own sharp objects towards her new attacker, drawing blood and a scream of pain from him. Another jumped her from behind and thrust a smaller knife into her shoulder, and was rewarded with a foot blade through the head. Another fell to her claws when he tried to attack her side. Moments later, another slashed her across the arm. Then another struck, and was dispatched. Then another. And another .....

* * *

Scott could already hear weapons fire as he approached the Danger Room. _Evan, what have you __done__?_

A part of him hoped he was wrong; after all, Evan was one of his oldest friends, and Scott would never have imagined him doing something like this. But Evan had changed since his time with the Morlocks; by now, Scott had no idea what his old friend was capable of.

In addition, everything about how Evan had been behaving rubbed him wrong. Wandering off alone during a blackout, somehow being the first to 'find' Rogue and Hank .... something about him was setting his instincts off. And, since Mystique's attack, Scott had learned not to ignore his instincts.

Nonetheless, it surprised him to find Evan at the Danger Room entrance, trying to carve his way through the bulkhead. "Evan?"

Evan glared his way. "You going to shoot me, or help me get in there?" he shouted back, jerking a thumb towards the entrance, where weapons fire and shouts could still be heard.

Scott stared at Evan for several long seconds, then fired.

The door, already weakened by Evan's efforts, crumpled instantly, admitting both X men into a war zone.

Roberto was holding up a section of bulkhead that Logan had carved out of the floor. Near him huddled K itty and Logan, who hunched over an unconscious Ray, Kurt, Alex, and Amara. Around them, weapons fire filled almost every square foot in the air, most converging on their trapped friends. Given the damage it had already done to the bulkheads, it was clear that whoever was in control had disengaged the safety protocols.

And now, they had apparently noticed Evan and Scott, as the bolts were coming their way. One crashed into the doorjamb near Scott's head.

"Goddess ...." he heard Ororo whisper behind him.

"We have to shut it down!" he shouted at Evan and Ororo.

"The control panel!" Ororo shouted back.

"I'll go!" Evan yelled. "If you can cover me without shooting me!" he added, with a measured glare at Scott.

Scott shook his head. "On three!" he yelled. Feeling the winds pick up behind him, he shouted, "One, two, THREE! GO!"

Lightning and optic blasts filled the air as Evan ran for the control room, firing a steady salvo of glowing spikes towards the walls. As he reached the wall, small glowing spikes appeared on his hands and feet and he leapt towards the wall, climbing toward the hole Laura had already made.

"We have to get to the others," he said to Ororo.

"I'll draw fire, you follow," she replied, her eyes still glowing. "The winds move quicker than you do!"

"Fair enough!" he replied. "Go!"

A buffet of wind propelled Ororo into the middle of the room, where she began firing at the remaining turrets while Scott, his mind instinctively calculating angles of fire and the positions of the turrets, began his own barrage.

After a minute that seemed to last a lifetime, the guns finally went silent.

As Ororo landed, and Scott ran over to the makeshift bunker, Roberto finally pushed the bent bulkhead to the floor and stood up. "Took yer time, Shades," Logan grunted as he rose to his feet.

"What happened?" Ororo demanded, looking over the beleaguered group.

A frazzled Kitty shook her head. "I don't know. We found Kurt, Alex, and Amara over there," she said, pointing towards the control room. "When we were, like, on the way out, the whole room, just, like, went berzerk!"

"Shocks there," Logan grunted, aiming towards Ray, "took the first hit before we decided to bunker down."

"Where's the rest of his team?" Scott demanded. "Multiple? And X23?"

"Don't know," Logan growled, clenching his fists.

"Laura's right here."

Everyone's attention snapped towards the approaching Evan, then was drawn to the bloodied, unconscious Laura in his arms.

* * *

_Forget beds; we're running out of sleeping bags._

Jean sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. Since her latest patients had been hauled in through the infirmary doors, she had worked nonstop finding them places to lie and checking their injuries. Fortunately, most of them were minor: Alex and Amara both had slight concussions, Ray had a large burn on his back shoulder, and Kurt's body was covered in gashes that she was still picking the glass out of. And Laura ..... Jean shuddered as she remembered the sight of the small girl's body. Even with her healing factor, she had still looked more corpse than human. Next to her kneeled an especially morose Logan, his eyes fixed on her. Though he said nothing, Jean could feel a smouldering rage slowly forming, one that scared even her.

"Jean? You okay?"

Jean gasped, then relaxed slightly as she saw a concerned-looking Scott and Xavier. "Ask me tomorrow," she replied evenly. "If we get there."

"Let's not lose hope yet," Xavier said. "We have power back, and everyone's still alive and present."

"What about Jamie?" Jean's lip quivered. "We still haven't found him."

Xavier sighed and leaned his chin on his folded hands. "As far as I can tell, he _is _alive, and somewhere in the mansion."

"Why can't you detect whoever has him? Or _where _they have him?" Scott asked.

"I'm not sure," Xavier admitted. "Our intruder seems to have some means of interfering with my telepathic probes. I can't get a clear reading on his location or the identity of his kidnapper."

"So, what does that leave us?" Scott crossed his arms.

"Now that the power's back on, I'm going to try using Cerebro to track Jamie's position."

"Not without backup," Scott stated. He looked around the room. "Storm, Shadowcat, Wolfsbane: you're with me."

As the group followed Xavier out of the infirmary, Jean turned toward Logan. "You mind if I ...?"

Logan grunted incoherently. As she began tending to Laura's wounds, which were already smaller than before, she spoke. "You know she'll be okay, Logan." Logan said nothing, so Jean went on. "She's lived through worse than this before."

"She shouldn't have to, Red," Logan snarled, his eyes flashing.

"No, she shouldn't," Jean replied, before returning her attention to Laura's wounds.

"I told her it'd be different here." Though Logan's face and voice hadn't changed, Jean could feel something intensifying in Logan. "I thought we could both get past .... all of it."

Jean sighed and stopped for a second. "None of us know who did this to her, Logan," she stated, "but it wasn't you."

Logan, his eyes still on Laura, just snorted.

Suddenly, he reached out and pushed her hand away. "Hold on a second." As Jean looked at him expectantly, Logan leaned towards the wound and took in a deep breath.

Suddenly, Logan stood up sharply, snarling with astonishment.

"Logan?" Jean asked, recoiling slightly. A nearby Evan approached, studying Logan curiously.

Logan clenched his fists. It could not be, yet the nose never lied ...

Without another thought, let alone another word, Logan extended his claws, turned around, shouldered his way past Evan and stalked out of the infirmary, growling under his breath the entire time.

"I'll go get him," Evan stated. Without waiting for an answer, he followed in Logan's wake.

Jean looked back at Laura's still form. _What did he sense? s_he wondered. Then she noticed the girl's clenched fist. On an impulse, she reached out and gently pried her fingers open, revealing a shred of brown leather.

Jean's blood froze as she recalled what, or rather _who_, that leather belonged to. Quickly, she looked around the infirmary, but he was already gone. _Scott!!_

* * *

"Logan!" Evan called as he pursued Logan

"I don't like being followed, Porcupine," Logan growled without looking back at Evan.

"Too bad." Evan continued after Logan. "What say you just tell me where you're off to?"

Logan sighed, and turned to face Evan. "Listen, Daniels: you are _not _gonna wanna be around for this." He took another step, only to find Evan stepping in front of him. Glaring down at him, he added, "And yer _definitely _not gonna want to be in my way. Walk away now."

Evan lifted his chin and stared back at Logan. "Who said I was getting in your way?" Before Logan could answer, Evan went on. "See, I think you know who did this to Laura, and if you're going after them," An array of spikes stabbed out from Evan's arms, "I want in. Or should I go spread the news instead?"

Logan just growled at Evan.

* * *

Scott's face hardened. _I got it, Jean; any idea where he went?_

_I don't know; he just left without a word, no one even saw him._

_He must be heading towards us. I'll head him off; you send the boys after him and lock down the infirmary. Let's not take too many chances here._

* * *

"I'll just be a few minutes," Xavier told Ororo before the doors closed.

As he approached the headgear, he mulled over his options. He could either focus his attention on unveiling the intruder, or he could locate Jamie first and deal with the intruder. Both were risky approaches, considering the intruder's apparent knowledge of telepathy. Not for the first time, Xavier found himself tempted to scan every mind in the mansion, or even put them all to sleep. There were, perhaps, more options open to him than he thought ....

_No_. Xavier shook his head. Having seen how such power had corrupted his best friend and turned them against one another, Xavier dared not walk that path.

Deciding that his first duty should be to his missing student, Xavier donned the headgear and opened his mind.

* * *

Remy LeBeau cast a glance around him as he strolled down the hallway. He'd had enough of that infirmary, and besides, he still had his business to attend to.

"Hey, Gambit! Wait up!" he heard someone call. Looking over his shoulder, he noticed Sam, Roberto, Piotr, and Warren jogging toward him.

"_Mes amis._" He looked them over; most had fixed their eyes on him, except for Piotr, who had his on the ground. "Lookin' for me?"

"It's time we talked." That flat statement came in the hard-edged tone Remy knew belonged to Scott, who was approaching from the other direction.

"I see." Remy's brow furrowed; from what he could tell, there was a simmering anger permeating the air; much more intense than what he'd been sensing during the ordeal thus far. His instincts flaring, Remy turned and leaned against the wall to face all the boys. "Don't suppose it's the weather."

Scott stopped in front of Remy while the other boys began to encircle him. "What have you been doing this whole time?"

* * *

Xavier frowned as the impressions poured in. First, he began sorting out the impressions of his students, all of whom he could sense were gathered at points within the mansion. Even Gambit, his mind usually unreadable, gave off a faint impression. Aside from his students, Cerebro detected ....

_It cannot be ...._

No one else.

_Impossible._ Xavier began to open his mind further, looking for the slightest sign.

Then he realized he'd missed something.

* * *

"_Pardon_?" As Scott continued to glare, Remy shook his head and continued. "I been lookin' round ..."

"Without backup?"

Remy frowned. "I go where I must, and I work alone. Since when did dat be problem for y'all?"

"What kind of work? Where are you going?"

Remy frowned. "You people ask a lotta questions, _homme_; de kind dat make me wanna call a lawyer. Wha's dis about?"

Scott put his hands on his hips. "Just some things we can't figure out. Like why you're nowhere to be found when somebody's getting attacked."

"Why this whole day doesn't seem to bother you in the slightest," Warren piped up. "Does nothing surprise you, or did you get early notice on this?"

Remy narrowed his eyes. "Nice talkin to y'," he stated before moving toward the hallway.

"We're not finished." Scott reached an arm out to block Remy's path, only to find his wrist snatched on route.

"Don't." Remy's eyes glowed. "I said before: I go where ...." Remy's warning was cut short, as Roberto's fist was already crashing into his gut.

* * *

Something was definitely strange about that particular impression. Yet no matter how carefully he probed, Xavier simply could not put his mental finger on it.

Sighing, Xavier went back to scanning the rest of the mansions. Perhaps he, too, was feeling the strain. After all, hearing too many minds .....

Suddenly, insight rushed through Xavier's being, and he found himself running the scan again. If his hunch was correct ....

Xavier gasped._ No; how can this be!_

But it was. Scanning again, Xavier shuddered. Only his preconceptions of, and hopes for, the individual, had prevented him from detecting this earlier. _How could this have happened to him?_

For now, though, the students had to be warned, and one of them neutralized. Xavier checked again. According to his probe, his students' attacker was .... right behind him.

* * *

Remy grunted as Roberto grabbed his shoulder and belt and hurled him against the opposite wall with little apparent effort. Before he slid to the ground, one of Warren's wings swung into him.

"Comrades, enough!" Peter coaxed, holding his hands up, as Remy slammed into the floor.

"Already?" Though impossible, Roberto somehow looked more demonic than before.

"Colossus is right, Sunspot." Scott crouched next to Remy, who was curled into a fetal posture. "We need answers."

Remy coughed. "Why didn't y'say so, Cyke?" he drawled, as he discreetly reached for his boot. "'Cause I always got answers." Before anyone blinked, several cards from the deck hidden in Remy's boot slammed into Roberto, pitching him down the hallway. Without pausing, Remy backhanded Scott in the nose, pushed himself up on both hands, and spun toward Warren, catching him with a roundhouse across the jaw. Leaping to his feet, Remy immediately charged at a shocked-looking Piotr and leapt into the air, using the large metallic Russian as a springboard. Landing gracefully despite the pain, coursing through his body, Remy ran.

* * *

Xavier glanced towards the door as the explosions reached his ear, then back toward his student. "You hear that?" the mutant in front of him grinned. "They think they have their man." Xavier watched as his student shrugged, sending a ripple through the long, brown jacket he wore.

Xavier continued to stare. "Why?" he finally managed.

"Does it matter?" His student shrugged. "They wouldn't care anyway. They never do."

"I might." Xavier furrowed his brow, focusing his psychic probe. Still, all he could hear was a recitation of fairy tales. "And do you really think he won't stop you?"

A humorless grin confronted him. "He doesn't even know I'm here!"

* * *

Remy gritted his teeth and tried to ignore the pain as he ran. He'd run from beatings before; to him, New Orleans had been one of the world's biggiest, and often deadliest, playgrounds, bullies included. _Those _fights had made more sense than this.

Of course, since he'd somehow decided to throw in with Xavier's group, a part of him had known that it was only a matter of time before they managed to pin something on him. Maybe being on the run from Magneto _would _have been a safer bet. With that thought, he put more into his run.

Suddenly, something slammed into his legs with inhuman speed, flipping him a full circle in midair before he landed on his arms, chest, and knees.

"Go on, Gambit," Scott deadpanned, approaching with his hand on his visor as Sam slowed to a stop in the other direction. "Try that again."

Remy sighed, then rolled over onto his aching back. "Do I owe y'all money?"

Scott's hands were on him before he could even take a breathe. Slamming him against the nearest wall, Scott glared furiously. "You _owe_ us nine of our people: the one you cut up, the one you kidnapped, the _ seven you put in our infirmary!!!!!_"

"De hell is wrong wit'y'?!" Remy demanded, pushing back against Scott. "I didn't lay a hand on any o' dem; not even dey pockets!"

"Ya left a piece of yer coat with Laura," said a much calmer Sam as he approached.

"I been lookin' for dat; where is it?"

"You tell us!"

"If I knew, I'd have it!" Remy glared at the other boys. "Dey be a lotta personal stuff I keep in dere!"

"Someone _stole_ your coat?" Scott glance incredulously at the other boys, then back at Remy. "From the _Prince of Thieves_?"

* * *

"You know I'm not going to stand for this any longer," Xavier glared.

"You never stand; but I _can _make sure you're _lying _down."

"If you take another step toward me, I will shut down your higher brain functions," Xavier warned.

"You're the mind man." Strangely confident, his student took a step backwards. Taking a small device from the jacket on the floor, he added. "You should have acted like one; you might have seen this coming." He thumbed a switch on the device, and something inside the Cerebro apparatus flared.

* * *

Busily watching the halls for threats, none of the women outside Cerebro were prepared for the scream that emerged from the inside. "Charles!" Ororo cried as they spun toward the large doors.

* * *

Inside the infirmary, Jean herself screamed and clawed at her temples as Xavier's anguish reached her.

* * *

Between Xavier's proximity and his link with Jean, it was not long before his professor's trouble hit Scott. "Everyone to Cerebro! Now!" he shouted.

* * *

"Kitty!" Ororo snapped, but she could already see the shorter brunette hurling herself through the door.

As she emerged on the other side, Kitty froze at what she saw inside. "Oh no ....."

Xavier was sprawled atop the platform in the middle of the room, his Cerebro headgear still on, writhing about as though he'd just caught fire. Without further thought, Kitty ran towards him, grabbed the headgear, and phased it through his head. Immediately, Xavier went limp.

The door finally slid open as Ororo shorted out the mechanism, admitting Ororo and Rahne followed by Scott, Piotr, Sam, Roberto, Warren, and a limping Remy. All of them froze as they found Kitty cradling an unconscious Xavier. "I don't .... I don't know ...." she stammered.

None of them did.

Their attacker had eaten away at the X men since his arrival; every attack, every friend or mentor in the infirmary ate away at any team member still conscious. This was different however; now he had brought down the man whose vision and kindness had brought them here; the man who was, for all intents and purposes, the Institute's, and X men's, main pillar.

But the were X men; instead of falling, they gathered to strike back. The trouble was finding their opponent.

"How did this happen?" Ororo finally hissed.

"You tell us." Scott finally turned away from his Professor's still form. "Did you see anyone?"

"No."

"Then how did he get in?" Warren demanded.

Scott grinded his teeth as he looked over the large room. "There's no other doors .... no damaged parts ...."

"You sound sure as ever," Remy muttered as he leaned against the nearby doorjamb.

"Gambit, _now _is not the time!" Scott snapped.

"For what?" Ororo asked, looking at both boys. "Gambit?"

Remy shrugged. "J'st sayin' it wouldn't hurt to take a second look,_ temps en temps_." Standing up straight with a pained grunt, he walked over to a nearby panel. "Y' mighta remembered: even de Prof needed to breathe." With that, he delivered a light kick to the panel, which immediately clattered to the floor.

"Of course," Ororo breathed. "The airducts!"

"Can you flush him out!" Scott asked, only to realize her eyes were already whitening, and thunder was already rolling in.

* * *

"He should have ended up here," Ororo stated as the group gathered outside the Danger Room. Sure enough, they could hear footsteps splashing through newly formed puddles. "Can you open the door?"

Piotr, who was still pulling in vain at the doors, finally shook his head. "They are melted shut."

"I'll take a look," Kitty declared.

"Kitty, _no_ ...." Scott began.

"_Someone _has to go in before he breaks out!" Kitty snapped. "And I can phase out if I run into trouble."

"I do not like this plan, either, Katya," Piotr spoke up.

"Anyone got a better one?" Kitty looked defiantly at the others.

"Actually, I might," Scott deadpanned. "Take someone with you."

Kitty huffed. "Fine." Grabbing a surprised Piotr's hand, she yelled, "hold your breath," and dove through the wall dragging Piotr after her.

Both found themselves faced with an empty room. "Hey, like, where'd he go?" Kitty asked.

Piotr narrowed his eyes. "He cannot be farAAAGGGGHHHHH!" he screamed as he felt his nerves catch fire.

"PETER!" Kitty spun towards the large Russian mutant. Before she could do anything else, however, a high-pitched noise assaulted her ears, drawing a scream from her and bringing her to her knees.

_Come on, you can beat this!_ she told herself. _Nothing you haven't taken from sessions here before! _Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to her feet and opened her eyes.

* * *

"Shadowcat?" Scott shoved against the fused door. "Colossus? Somebody, respond!"

* * *

Kitty's eyes widened as she spotted the person holding the rod and device standing over Piotr. "No ...." she whispered. "How .... how could ....?!"

"Let's just say I'm starting to have fun." Suddenly, he lunged forward and swung the rod into her stomach. "Funny; and used to like you, Kitty," he sneered as he stepped towards her prone body.

* * *

"That's it, we're going in," Scott snapped. After shattering the doorway with an optic blast, he led the group inside.

What they found would have shocked them earlier in the day. By now, after what they'd experienced, it was all too old.

Piotr lay unconscious near the door, still in metallic form. Kitty, in contrast, sat curled against the wall, her eyes wide and her breath moving in rapid gasps. Warren took a step toward her. "Kitty ...?"

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Kitty screamed, crawling away from him.

It was then that Warren noticed the tears in her uniform. "Storm ...?"

Ororo and Rahne approached and knelt next to Kitty. "Kitty; what happened?"

"Get away from me!" Kitty ordered, still crawling away. Ororo sucked in her breath as she noticed the slits cut in her uniform, several around her chest, and a couple longer ones along her legs.

"Kitty, we're your friends; don't ye recognize us?" Rahne coaxed.

Kitty shook her head. "No .... no no no no .... no friends .... can't .... can't tell ...."

"Child, what happened?" Ororo demanded.

"He .... he .... he ...." Kitty was hyperventilating by now, until she finally collapsed into Ororo's arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

Fighting her own tears, Ororo rubbed a hand along the younger girl's back. "It's okay ... shhh .." she murmured. Then she looked up. "Rahne?"

The redhead was looking at something in front of her, her eyes wide and her breath frozen. Suddenly she leaned towards Kitty and took another deep breath.

"Rahne, what is it?" Scott asked impatiently.

Rahne said nothing, but her face began to shift as a low growl emerged from the back of her throat. Before her transformation had completed, she was already running out the door.

Scott resisted the urge to blast a hole in something. "Warren, stay with Kitty and Peter. Everyone else, with me."

* * *

Elsewhere, others were lying in wait.

"You sure about this, Logan?" Evan asked yet again from his spot in the corner of the room they'd occupied.

Logan snarled under his breath, his eyes still on the small hole he'd carved into the door. "The door's still open, Porcupine."

"No, I'm still down," Evan replied, fingering one of his spikes. "Just can't figure it, is all; you positive it's him?"

Logan sighed. "Couldn't believe it myself," he admitted. "But the nose ain't let me down yet." He finally looked toward Evan. "Only thing that worries me is you."

"I can handle myself, Logan," Evan growled.

"I know; so could Laura," Logan growled back. As Evan scowled, Logan went on. "And I wouldn't have to tell her this: this won't be no sparring match. I don't even teach this to the kids, cause once you jump down this way, there ain't no climbin' back out. No second shot, no redemption. Now: you still in?"

Evan just glared back at Logan before raising an arm and extending spikes from it before returning to his own hole.

Logan snorted. "Fine. Your call."

"Logan, someone's coming," Evan whispered.

"Quiet," Logan hissed as he peered out his hole. Sure enough, a small form was coming down the hall toward the room they were watching. The form looked around furtively before approaching the door. "All right, let's go."

* * *

Rahne growled as she ran. The scent was strong, and it was definitely heading this way.

_Ye cannae be serious _a part of her cried. _Yer lookin' for an intruder._

_Who left no scent, _she reminded herself. _But .... he did._

She wished it were a stranger. She would have hunted it down without a second thought, without hesitating. Though Rahne would never stoop to becoming a murderer, she no longer hesitated to strike back when someone attacked her or her friends. She remembered the Reavers' metallic limbs in her jaws, remembered the sheer, animalistic rage that had jumped to the forefront in her mind. It was easy; they were just psychopaths she'd never heard of.

But the scent she now followed was familiar to her. _Very_ familiar. Even horrified as she was by the thought that he could be attacking her teammates as he had, the thought of hurting _him_, of clutching him in her jaws ....

Suddenly, the scent grew stronger. In fact ....

Rahne skidded to a stop as she noticed her prey right in front of her.

"Rahne?" asked a surprised looking Jamie Madrox, clad in a long, brown coat. "What's going on?"

* * *

"Logan?" Jamie asked as the large man approached. "What are you -?" His question was cut short as Logan's fist smashed into his face. The small mutant barely had time to gasp for breath before Logan seized him by the throat.

After lifting him up, Logan glared directly into his terrified eyes. "Yer a helluva con, Crowd," he growled. "But the nose knows." With a guttural roar he spun about and hurled Jamie into the opposite wall. Groaning, Jamie scrambled to his feet and began to run in the opposite direction, only to narrowly avoid a rain of spikes that blocked his escape. Evan's large, armored form landed in front of them.

"Evan?" Jamie gasped. "What're you doing?"

Evan looked coldly at Jamie. "Wanted to ask you that," he stated. Extending an array of spikes from his wrist, he added, "But I think I'll pass."

* * *

"Rahne?" Jamie blinked and took several steps back as Rahne transformed into her humanoid canine form and snarled at him. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Rahne took a deep breath. "Why ...." she hissed. "I been wonderin' that me self, James." She advanced on him. "Why _you_, of all people. Why start this ...." she paused and spread her arms out slightly "All o' this insanity? Why bring it on your friends? _Why_, Jamie?!"

"Wh-_what?!_" Jamie sputtered.

* * *

"Evan?!" Jamie backed away as Evan advanced on him, twirling a long spike. "What is this?!!"

"We're endin' yer little game, Crowd," Logan growled from behind him.

Jamie swung his gaze between both of them. "Game?!"

"You're up." Snarling, Logan leaped towards Jamie, both claws extended.

With a panicked yell, Jamie ran towards Evan, only to receive a smack to the face from the makeshift staff. Gasping hoarsely, Jamie looked up in time to see Evan bringing the sharp end down toward him. Rolling to the side and narrowly avoiding being impaled, Jamie scrambled to his feet and ran the other way, only to run into a snarling Logan. As Jamie reflexively turned away, Logan struck, catching Jamie across the back.

Jamie screamed as the adamantium claws cut into his skin. "Why ....???" he whimpered.

* * *

"Why are ye still lyin, Jamie?" Rahne demanded. "Yer smell already gave ye away!"

Jamie frowned and glanced towards his own armpits. "Ohhh .... did I forget to shower ....?"

"It's not funny, James!" Rahne cried. "I know yer smell; I know how long it lasts, and I know well how it ended up all over Kitty!" She shook her head, aghast. "How could ye do that?!"

Jamie continued to frown for several seconds, made a show of scratching his head, then shrugged, threw up his hands, and sighed. "Well, since you asked so _nicely_ ...."

Someone seized Rahne from behind.

* * *

"This is getting old, Jamie," Evan snapped, raising a spike-ridden arm. "Got something else to say?"

Jamie shook his head, desperately trying to reach his back to stop the bleeding. "I .... don't .... understand ...."

Evan raised his arm.

"Spyke, NO!"

Evan fired. At the last moment, however, Jamie fell to the side, and the glowing spikes buried themselves in Logan instead, burning the skin around them and pitching him to the floor.

His roar of pain froze both boys in place for the briefest of seconds before Evan looked furiously at Jamie. After one last shocked look at Logan, Jamie ran for the door to the nearest room. His room.

Slamming the door behind him, Jamie leaned against the nearby wall took a ragged breath.

Then he saw what was lying on his bed.

* * *

Rahne snarled and writhed furiously. It did her no good; the two Jamies, if her nose was correct, had her in a tight grip and were far out of her snout's reach.

"I really wish you hadn't pushed, Rahne," the Jamie in front of her remarked as he slowly approached. "You could have joined the fun instead of being the fun."

"Fun's over."

And two optic blasts slammed into the two clones.

* * *

"Bad move," Evan sneered as he kicked down the door. As he stepped inside, he took a look around. Jamie was nowhere in sight. "You know you can't hide in here," he added in a dangerously low voice. He took a step further into the room. "That's why they call them dead. Ends."

Suddenly, Jamie was upon him, swinging a short rod. "GET AWAY FROM ME!!!" Evan grunted as the rod slammed into him, activating its electric current. As the shocked Evan fell to the ground, a bloodied Jamie brought it up for another swing. "What's .... with you ....?" he gasped as he brought the charged rod down again, driving its energy through Evan. As the armored mutant grunted and tried to roll away, Jamie brought it down again, only to find three adamantium blades protruding from his chest.

Grunting contemptuously, Logan, still sporting several of Evan's spikes, withdrew the blades from his student's body and stood watching him fall.

And disappear.

Logan snorted in surprise.

"What – where'd he go?" Evan grunted, dragging himself to a sitting position.

Logan turned to look down the hallway. "That wasn't the real deal," he snarled. "He sent one of his _spares!_"

* * *

Jamie winced as the two clones holding Rahne disappeared. "That_ hurt_," he grumbled.

"Get away from her, Jamie," Scott ordered, his hand on his visor. Behind him gathered Ororo, Sam, Remy, and Roberto, whose eyes suddenly seemed to burn brighter than the rest of his body.

"Oh, okay." Before anyone could react, Jamie lunged towards the prone Rahne and wrapped an arm around her throat. "Wait: what was that?" he demanded.

"Let. Her. Go." Sam ordered, inching towards the two.

"Yes _sir_," Jamie snapped, throwing a mock salute with his free hand. "Wait, you _are _still in charge, right? It's kinda hard to tell lately ...."

"No kidding," Scott deadpanned, crossing his arms. "But we know who's driving the mansion now, don't we?"

Jamie shrugged. "Computer like any other." He sniggered. "You should've seen your faces when it all started."

"And we know who's been dismantling the Danger Room," Scott retorted. "Who's been putting everyone in the infirmary. Who's been lying to us all day?!"

A seemingly bewildered Jamie blinked. "Wow; and I thought _I _had the sick imagination."

"Goddess ...." Ororo whispered.

"Jamie ...." Rahne gasped, "how .... could .... ye ....?"

"Shut up!" Jamie tightened his hold and glared at the group before him. "What? Why the looks? Now _I'm_ the first to take on the mansion?" He laughed bitterly. "You should be used to it; isn't someone always slipping up, losing control, putting a team member or two down for the count. And what happens to them?" He frowned and scratched his head. "Oh yeah: hugs all around and call the Prof in the morning!"

"Don't look lahke yer losin' control to me." Sam's legs glowed slightly as he readied his powers, his hard expression still on Jamie. "How long'd it take? An hour? Three? A day, to mess with our gadgets and turn 'em on us?"

"Yeah; amazing isn't it?"

"I don't understand," Ororo said, taking a step towards Jamie. "Jamie, these are your _friends!_"

"Hah!" Jamie took another step back. "Friends, is that what they call it today?" His expression suddenly, turned thoughtful. "Wait, let me see if I got this straight: bring him on your missions whenever you need the mutantpower to fight Baldy's cause to wipe the bigots' nose and clean up their messes. But, just remember to keep him on the sidelines during downtime." He sighed dramatically. "What more could you want?"

"Dat what de whole fandango for?" Remy asked quietly. "You not invited to de party, you lock us up in y'own?"

Jamie looked at Remy, his mouth slightly open. "That is so _brilliant_, Dr. Fraud. Any more theories?" He then made a rude noise. "Sorry, I don't feel like couch-talk today; it's boring me already. This is _fun _time."

"Not anymore. X Men?" Before Scott had finished, all beside him had assumed combat poses and were advancing on Jamie and Rahne.

Jamie sighed. "That is _so _old."

"Last warnin', Jamie," Sam told him as he tensed up.

"Or what? You send me to my room?"

"Fer starters."

"Too bad, since you're ...." Jamie snapped his fingers. ".... _slightly _outnumbered."

Clones after clone began materializing along the walls of the hallway, filling every available space. Within seconds, Scott and the others were completely surrounded by glaring Jamies.

Jamie smirked at the group that had instinctively shifted into a ring formation facing the army of Jamies around them. "Shall I send you to _your _rooms now, or maybe just ....?" His casual musings were cut short by a bloodcurdling scream as Rahne sunk her teeth into his shoulder. Immediately, the other clones grimaced and clutched at their shoulders.

And Roberto moved.

Most of the clones had barely opened their eyes before he charged through them, scattering them like leaves in the wind. His eyes now focused on Jamie, who was bringing a fist down on the back of Rahne's head, Roberto continued his run, ready to knock Jamie into the next room.

Only the Jamie he ran into appeared several feet early, and they both fell to the ground in a tangle.

Behind him, the remaining X men had abandoned their formations and were moving against the clones.

Scott, determined to keep his cool, was firing short, tight beams against the clones around, every one of his shots hitting home and wiping a clone from sight. Ororo had summoned a small thundercloud and was dodging through without apparent effort while her lightning rained down on the small army. Remy, while silently cursing the loss of his staff and jacket, was avoiding grabs and attacks with equal grace. Sam, equally uncomfortable with little room to manoevre, was nonetheless in full motion as he soared around the edges of the mob smashing into clones while careful to avoid his teammates.

But those clones kept coming.

Roberto grunted and threw the clone off of him. Hopping to his feet, Roberto charged at Jamie again, only to run into another pair of clones. In the next second, he felt another group jump upon his back, driving him to the floor with their combined weight. Grunting with effort, Roberto looked up in time to see one of the Jamie's staggering around the corner, an unconscious Rahne still in his grasp. "He's running!"

Hearing Roberto, Scott snapped, "Storm, Gambit, watch our backs. Sam?"

"Way ahead o' ya!" With an explosion at his feet, Sam set off in pursuit of the fleeing Jamie while Scott took careful aim. Neither were prepared the surprise attack.

"Hey!" Scott snapped as several hands gripped his head.. "No, _don't_!" he cried as one pair began pulling at his visor. His words unheeded, the clones yanked Scott's visor from him, unleashing a blast down the corridor that slammed into Sam, knocking him off course and through the roof.

Seeing this, Remy elbowed the latest clone on his back and ran for the wall. Using the momentum from his run, he dug his booted feet into the bulkhead, carrying him along the wall and over the mob. After flipping and landing outside the battle, Remy stood up and ran.

"Gambit!" Ororo yelled, before finding herself beset by another group of clones.

"Figures," Scott mumbled, straining to stand with the clones clinging to his every limb.

Jamie glanced over his shoulder as he rounded the corner. With any luck, his clones could keep the X Men busy while he founding a hiding place and planned his next move. A smile sprang to his face as ideas for the remaining older kids. What had started out as a humiliating joke of a day was definitely picking up.

At least until the ceiling in front of him glowed and shattered, admitting a glowering Evan. "You know, I'm getting tired of this already," he deadpanned, aiming his spikes.

By reflex, Jamie pushed Rahne in front of him, holding her like a shield. "That better?"

Ororo hissed in pain as a kick finally slipped through her defense. Like sharks smelling fresh blood, another flurry of hands and feet followed, pummelling her with more blows than she could even count, let alone defend against. Next her, Scott was already pinned to the ground by crowds of clones. _Too ... many ...._

Suddenly, heralded by the beastly howl she'd come to know over the years, Logan burst through a nearby wall and set to work on the small, newly dumbfounded army. Within seconds, their numbers had decreased. Spurred by his appearance, Ororo struck back against her attackers and rejoined the fight.

"C'mon!" Jamie taunted. "You know you waaannna!"

Surprisingly, Evan allowed a sinister grin to cross his face. "You don't know me at all," he whispered, his spikes unwavering. Rahne's eyes widened.

"Yeah, that's one club I actually go into." Jamie leered at Evan. "'Who's Afraid of the Sewer Freak?'" He laughed, then cocked his head. "But, uhhh, speaking of afraid, didn't you run and hide with the garbage all those years ago? Yeah, pretty sure that was you." Evan's grin thinned. "What was it? Couldn't hack it when you actually looked like a freak? Or were you just sick of Xavier's little pipe dream?" He wagged a finger at Evan. "That's another club I joined." He laughed out loud. "And then you marched right back onto Xavier's tune. You know, I laughed for two days when I got that news ...."

"What's funny," Evan interrupted, lowering his arm, "is that you forgot to look behind you."

A puzzled Jamie frowned seconds before a quarterstaff slammed into the backs of his knees, bringing him to the floor. "I b'lieve dis belongs to me," Remy stated, twirling the staff he'd slipped from Jamie's coat pockets. Jamie grunted and tried to sit up, only to receive an elbow to the face from Rahne as she rolled off of him. Snarling, Jamie pushed himself to his feet, grabbed Remy's staff and pushed the thief against the wall. Grunting with effort, Remy raised both feet and drove them into Jamie's midsection, pushing him back into the middle of the corridor where he received a crescent kick from Evan. Wild-eyed by now, Jamie rolled to his feet.

And was struck down bya red beam. "Sorry we're late," Scott said as he and the rest of the group. "We had company."

"Not to worry, _mes amis_," Remy gasped, leaning against the wall. "De fun was j'st startin'."

"Males," Rahne muttered, offering a smile to Roberto as he knelt next to her.

Evan shook his head at the Cajun. "Dude, you're ....." Whatever he was about to call Remy was forgotten as soon as he noticed the prone Jamie vanishing from view.

* * *

"So what happened to him?" Tabitha asked quietly as she and Jubilee watched Jean, who sat near Xavier with her eyes shut and her hands at her head. After getting no answer, she glanced around the infirmary, which was still filled with her unconscious friends. Even Laura had not yet woken, something none of them could figure, since her wounds had healed. And now it had its latest guest: the Prof himself.

Finally, Jean opened her eyes and sighed. "I can't find him; he must be .... _hiding_ somewhere."

"In his own mind?" Jubilee frowned.

Jean, still rubbing her forehead, stood up. "Cerebro can scan a whole planet. 6 billion minds, if it has to. But if he wasn't prepared for that level, if he wasn't ready to block any out ...."

"He _overloaded_," Tabitha shook her head. "Now I'm _glad _I'm not a telepath. No offense, Jean," she quickly added.

* * *

"Not again ...!"

"Where'd he go?!" Roberto demanded as he stood up, his fists clenched.

"Another spare," Logan growled.

"How did he _do_ that?" Warren asked.

"Doesn't matter," Scott stated. "We can ask him when we find him."

"And how do we do _that?_"

"Everyone think." Scott began to pace. "He's after something; what is it?"

"You mean besides lockin' hisself wit' us?" Remy remarked. "And lonely time wit' de _fille de loup_," he added, nodding towards Rahne, who growled at him.

"Who asked you?" Roberto snapped.

"No, he's right," Scott interrupted. "Whatever he wants, it doesn't involve leaving the mansion."

"Us," Ororo murmured. Seeing the strange looks from the others,she added. "He wants us where he's put half the mansion."

"In the ..... oh no, " Scott froze as the word reached his mind. _Jean?_

* * *

Jean's mouth dried as she heard Scott's message. _I hear you, Scott._

"Jean?" Jubilee asked, noticing Jean's face glaze over. "What is it?"

Jean's forehead twitched before she looked at the other two girls. "They found our attacker."

"Who?" Jubilee leaned forward.

Jean was about to answer when she spotted the small form standing in the doorway, his arms around his chest, his breathing ragged, and his face the most terrified that Jean had seen.

"Jean," Jamie said, his voice shaking. "Help me."

* * *

_Scott .... he's here. _

"Everyone to the infirmary! NOW!" Scott yelled, already pulling away from the group following in his wake.

* * *

"Jean," Jamie whispered, taking a step into the room. "I don't .... I don't know what's happening ...."

Jean glanced at Tabitha and Jubilee, both of whom had received her telepathic alert, then stood up slowly. "There's been .... a lot going on," she carefully replied.

Jamie's eyes flicked past her towards the full infirmary, and widened. "Oh no ..." he gasped. He snapped his gaze back toward Jean. "Jean, you have to listen to me; this is going to sound crazy ...."

"You think?" Tabitha asked, slowly sliding a hand behind her back.

"I'm serious!" he snapped, clenching his fists. "We're in trouble; we have to get out of here ..."

"To where?" Jubilee glared darkly and inched away from Jamie.

"Anywhere but here!" Jamie took several more steps into the room, past Jean and next to Rogue's bed. "There's something .... creepy wrong -"

"I'll say," Tabitha deadpanned.

"Tabitha," Jean warned. Focusing on Jamie, she gently replied. "Let's just wait for the others first, then we can-"

"NO!!!" Jamie's hands flew to his chest, as though recalling an old injury. "They're still out there ..."

"Who?"

Jamie paused and took a quivering breath. "Evan. Logan. They tried to kill me; I don't know why, maybe it's the stuff they found in my room, and ..."

"You mean your toys?" Jubilee's hands began to glow.

"They're not mine! I don't know how ....!" Jamie trailed off as the horror on his face grew. "H-how did you know?"

"You just told us, genius." Tabitha slowly slid her hand, now gripping a small bomb, out from behind her back.

"No ...." By now, all the color had fled Jamie's face as he looked at Jean, at Tabitha, at Amara. "You ....?"

Without another word, he reached out, grabbed a nearby tray, and pushed it towards Jubilee. Despite her attention on Jamie, Jubilee was ill-prepared for his sudden attack and instinctively fired a burst towards it.

By that point, Jamie was already running. At least until he found his legs suddenly refusing to move.

"Don't." Jean slowly walked towards Jamie, who was desperately pulling at the doorjamb, trying to escape Jean's hold. "No one's going anywhere until we figure this out."

"Figure out?" Jamie gasped, still straining against Jean's hold. "You guys are insane!"

"Jamie, I don't understand," Jean replied slowly. "What are you .... wait, Tabitha, DON'T!"

Jean's warning was already lost on Tabitha, who was already pitching her bomb towards the trapped Jamie. Gritting her teeth, Jean focused her powers on the bomb, directing it away from everyone and surrounding it with telekinetic force. She winced as it exploded, straining against the invisible coccoon she created.

"Jean!" a part of her heard someone cry. "He's running!"

In the next instance, a still-disoriented Jean heard a growl behind her.

His mind on the hallway outside, on escape, on his longtime friends who were suddenly trying to kill him, Jamie was unprepared when Laura's small feet slammed into his back, driving him to the ground. His power reacted instinctively, surrounding him by more Jamies, all of whom found themselves at the point of Laura's blades.

"I thought she was still out of it," Tabitha said as she rolled up to the doorway.

Jamie screamed as Laura's blades buried themselves in another clone. "STOP IT!" he screamed. Laura simply looked him before grabbing his shirt and tossing him into the middle of the hallway.

"She must have been faking .... Laura, no!" Jean cried as Laura stood over Jamie, both claws aiming for his throat.

"Who else is involved?" Laura growled.

"Involved ....?" he gasped.

"Laura, let him go!" Jean ordered.

"Why did you attack us? Did someone order you?" she continued.

"I .... I don't know ...!"

"_Laura!_" The former living weapon suddenly felt a pressure on her shoulders and elbows before her body pulled away from Jamie of its own accord. " Laura, this isn't what we do!" Jean snapped as she pulled the snarling, writhing mutant in front of her. "We're not killers, and we're not weapons; we don't murder our prisoners!"

"Do you let them run away?" Laura growled.

Sure enough, Jamie was on his feet, staggering down the corridor, only to run into another obstacle.

"What's your rush?" Roberto sneered as he stepped toward Jamie.

"Roberto!" Jamie threw a glance over his shoulder. Seeing Jean, Laura, and Jubilee approach, he looked desperately back at Roberto. "Run; they're trying to kill me!"

"You don't say?" In the next instant, Roberto's hands were on him and swinging his body towards the wall. As Jamie climbed to his hands and knees, Roberto's foot swung into his ribs, launching the younger mutant a foot into the air before he fell to the ground again.

"Sunspot, stand down!" Scott yelled as he and the rest of his group rounded the corner. Ignoring Scott, Roberto raised a fist, only to find it frozen in place.

"That's. _Enough_," Jean said through gritted teeth.

Jamie looked up as everyone approached, staring coldly down at him. "Why .... ?" he whispered. "Why are you doing this to me?"

Without taking his hidden eyes off Jamie, Scott ordered, "Jean. We need sedatives."

* * *

It took several minutes, which seemed like hours for some, to get Jamie sedated and strapped to a bed in the mansion's lower levels; their first 'brig,' as Remy put it. During this time, the infirmary's occupants began to awaken.

Bobby was the first, and was immediately heard complaining about the heat to a much-relieved Jubilee. Rogue and Hank soon followed, and were found attempting to rise to their feet and help out. It took the threat of a hypnotic sleep from Jean to convince them to lie back down. Kurt, Alex, Amara, and Ray were next, Alex demanding ice for their heads and receiving a glare from Amara for it, while Kurt looked in horror at his 'ruined fur.' Piotr woke soon after, and was the first to notice a silent, tense Kitty curled up on the floor across from him.

As the original patients awoke, the room gained some new ones. Ororo was the first to notice the burns on Evan and the bruises Remy was hiding. After enlisting Jean, she cornered each of them, one at a time, and, after a long argument from both, persuaded them to get their injuries looked at.

While Jean held down the infirmary, Scott joined her and began to question everyone about their attackers. Having guessed wrong twice over the course of the day, he was careful not to mention his own experiences, as he knew that he could easily they could draw the wrong conclusions.

Nonetheless, there remained little doubt. Bobby had encountered Jamie fiddling with a flame weapon from the Danger Room before becoming its test subject. Rogue and Hank, both interviewed separately, affirmed that it had been Jamie who joined them in the computer room before knocking them unconscious. Kurt had seen a Jamie enter the control room shortly before the one behind him had grabbed him and thrown him through the window. Laura, despite her obvious contempt for her ill-trained interrogator, confirmed that she had detected Jamie's scent all over the Danger Room and encountered an armed mob of him in the control room. Evan, after much prodding from Ororo, finally admitting to finding one of his clones outside his room, where they had found his stash of Danger Room parts, including the flame thrower he had used on Bobby. Kitty was still uncommunicative, but Piotr confirmed that he had, to his shock, glimpsed Jamie before falling unconscious. There were inconsistencies, such as his behaviour outside his room and in the infirmary; definitely unlike the Jamie that those who had fallen described. However, all those accounts combined left no question in anyone's mind:

Jamie had attacked them.

What wasn't so clear was their next move.

"So what's our next move?" Warren asked.

Scott, having finally changed out of his uniform and visor, pinched the bridge of his nose. "If you mean 'what do we do with Jamie', he's under sedation for the moment, should asleep for another few hours unless somebody wakes him. In the meantime," he spread his hands out. "I'm open to suggestions."

"You wouldn't wanna hear mine," Logan muttered.

"I think we've had enough murders for one day," Ororo replied coldly. The clouds overhead had darkened since Evan had reluctantly told her about his and Logan's early encounter with Jamie.

"We need the Professor," Jean interrupted.

"What, we can't make our own decisions?" Roberto demanded.

Jean simply raised her chin at Roberto. "He can look into Jamie's mind; find out what started all this."

"Wasn't it him? Pretty sure it was." Roberto deadpanned.

"He just got up one day and decided to go postal?"

"Looks that way. Why; you got an excuse for him now?"

"Roberto, _shut up!_" Rahne snapped. Every stopped and looked at her; those had been her first words since she had watched them strap Jamie into the new 'brig.'

"I agree with Jean," Ororo put in, much more calmly. "This is unlike Jamie."

"What about before? Did his family tell you about any problems?" Scott asked.

Ororo just crossed her arms without a word.

"This ain't a time fer secrets, Ororo," Logan growled. "You wanna tell em, or should I?"

Ororo sighed. "We never knew of any family; we found him in a New Mexico orphanage."

Rahne quickly looked away. "Did _they_ tell you anything?" Scott asked.

Ororo looked away from the group. "Several other kids did accuse him of .... various offences."

"Offences." Scott placed his hands on his hips. "What kind?"

Ororo shook her head sharply. "Thefts, vandalism ...."

"You mean he ...?"

"I said they accused him," Ororo cut in sharply, whipping her face back toward Scott. "They were all proven false; he was never anywhere near where they claimed to see him."

"Did any of the other kids hurt him?" Jean asked.

"Is this for real?" Roberto stared aghast at Jean. "What are you, his rent-a-doc?" Ignoring Jean's dark scowl, he went on. "He just spent the day playing his sick game with us, and in five minutes you're already handing him his own insanity defence?!"

"You finished?" Sam deadpanned.

Shaking his head, Roberto stepped away from the gathering and pointed at them. "You're all insane." Without another word, he turned around and stalked out. After a minute of silence, Rahne turned away and left also.

"Jean, can you revive the Professor?" Scott finally asked.

Jean nodded. "I think so. I'll need a quiet room and, maybe a half hour."

"All right, then get started. We need some answers."

* * *

Jamie Madrox groaned as he cracked open his eyes. As the light flooded his eyes, pain flooded his being as feeling returned to him. A lot of it was around his shoulder ...

Jamie suddenly realized he was being shaken, and looked towards his visitor.

"Hello, Jamie," his visitor said cheerfully.

Jamie swallowed as the figure came into focus before him. "Hello .... Jamie," he replied hoarsely.

Jamie Madrox grinned down at Jamie Madrox. "Wonder what the bald prof would say about introducing myself." Extending a hand to Jamie's restrained hand, he said. "Hi, I'm you, or am I me ...?" He shook his head. "What a mind game. I don't know _how _you ever keep track."

Jamie took a shaking breath and glared at Jamie. "I .... know who I am," he whispered. "You're .... just a clone."

"Hell I am." Jamie began to pace around Jamie's bed. "_I'm _the real deal here; haven't you figured it out?"

"You're not." Jamie's voice grew stronger. "You're the one I don't want to be; the one that kept getting me in trouble back with the kids at Albuquerque."

"Ohh, boo hoo ..."

"You're the lie; the nightmare I keep remembering." Jamie's voice rose and he strained against the straps. "_You're not me!_"

"You think?" Jamie crossed his arms and smirked down at Jamie. "How can you tell? The way I see it, I'm more real than you'll ever be."

"You're not." Jamie shook his head. "I wouldn't do what you've been doing."

"Who? Me?"

"I thought someone went missing back in the Danger Room." Jamie stared defiantly up at Jamie. "You took that stuff out of the Danger Room and used it on everybody. You put the stuff in my room. You messed with the computers and locked everyone inside for your .... entertainment!"

"You got a sick, twisted mind."

"It was _your _mind, not mine!" Jamie snapped.

Jamie chuckled, then leaned over Jamie. "Where do you think I got the ideas?"

"I didn't go through with them!" Jamie struggled against his straps. "_You _went off on your own! _You _did all this! I didn't!"

Jamie blinked, straightened up, and stepped away from Jamie's bed. "I wasn't alone." After one snap of his fingers, the standing Jamie was surrounded by grinning clones. "Can _you _do that?"

"You asked." Jamie shut his eyes and concentrated.

Nothing happened.

Jamie looked frantically around as the Jamies in front of him began to laugh. No clones surrounded him.

"How about that?" the standing Jamie remarked.

"What did you do to me!" Jamie demanded, writhing in his bed.

"Nothing, actually. But think about it." Jamie leered down at the struggling Jamie. "Only the real deal has the power." He snickered as the trapped Jamie turned pale. "Looks like _you're_ the one who went off on your own."

"You're wrong," Jamie mumbled.

"Oh, come on! Have you been paying attention?! They don't want you here; you're too big a crowd, remember?!" Jamie finally scowled. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed them keeping you away from the parties, from the joyrides while they use you for cannon fodder during fights?! And now look: they locked you away, as if you were the first to go crazy and take down the team!" Jamie, now looking disgusted, shook his head sharply. " Well the crowd is leaving the building. Once we pack, of course," he added, grinning at the nearby clones, who grinned back.

"Pack ....?"

"Just some supplies for the road, some food, tools ..." he paused, as though trying to recall his list. "Oh, and onered-head with a cute accent and _wild_, wild side ...."

"What?" Jamie froze.

"You know! That Scot you can barely get the nerve to talk to?" Jamie sneered. "These boys are fun, but we're gonna need some girls along for the ride. Oh don't worry, we'll treat her right ...."

Jamie lunged towards Jamie, only remembering the straps when they dug into his skin. "YOU PSYCHO!!!!"

"Me?" Jamie laughed as he backed toward the door. "_You're _the one strapped down." Still laughing, he shut the door behind him, leaving Jamie alone.

* * *

"Why do ye hate him so much, Roberto?"

Roberto looked at his girlfriend again, who was now seated on the opposite end of the rec room's couch. "I wonder," he said sarcastically. "Maybe his little game didn't agree with me. You?"

"I'm talkin' about before," Rahne insisted, crossing her arms. "The way ye treated him; the _everybody_ treated him."

"Oh, here we go," he groaned, letting his head fall back. "Why is everyone making excuses ....?"

A hard shove to his shoulder brought his head back up and eyes back to a glaring Rahne. "Okay, okay," he grumbled, rubbing his shoulder. "I didn't hate him, all right?"

"Really?"

"Okay, him and his mob were annoyin', but all the jokes and stuff were just that: jokes. Playin' around! What does it matter anyway?"

* * *

_Professor?_

Jean took a deep breath and focused her mind. For a man with one of the most powerful minds on the planet, he was proving difficult to find.

_Professor, it's Jean Grey. Your student. We're all waiting for you out there. Cerebro's offline, we're in no danger, but we miss you. Come back._

_Jean ...?_

"Chuck sure is takin' his time," Logan grunted.

"Why's this taking so long? Can't he wake himself up?" Evan asked.

"It's not that simple, Evan," Ororo replied evenly. "Charles once told us this might happen, if something went wrong with Cerebro."

"If he saw it coming, then why wasn't he ready?" Warren asked.

"He was," Ororo replied. "He told us, years ago, that he would go into a coma upon the first sign of an overload, and would need a telepathic anchor to lead him out."

"He told Jean and I after we graduated," Scott added. "He told Jean to be ready, just in case."

Evan shook his head. "It's _creepy_ what he knows, sometimes."

"He should have anticipated Multiple's actions." Laura demanded.

"Nobody thinks of everything, kid," Logan grunted.

"But he should at least have an idea why Jamie did this, so we need him," Scott stated. After cracking his trademark half-smile, he added, "Besides, I don't wanna try running this school without him."

_SCOTT!_

"Jean!" Scott cried.

As though on cue, everyone rushed into the room and found Jean struggling to restrain a hysterical Xavier.

"Professor!" Scott snapped. Running over, he placed his face in front of Xavier. "Professor, it's me! Scott Summers! We're all here, we're all safe!"

Instantly, Xavier seemed to calm, at least slightly. After gripping his head with a long sigh, he looked intently at his student. "Scott: where is Jamie?"

* * *

Jamie Madrox checked his watch._ So far, so good_, he thought to himself as he pulled himself into the airduct. It would take some crawling around and peeking, but, since everybody thought they had their man, he should at least have a few hours to grab his stuff, get the girl, and get out. Surely enough time to have some fun along the way.

A smile crossed his face as he thought of his clone's stunned, infuriated face staring up at him from the bed. _That _had been definitely worth the work it had taken to break into the locked room where they had stashed him.

But enough on that. That runaway copy should be gone soon enough; in the meantime, he, Jamie Madrox, had his own plans.

* * *

Jamie Madrox took another deep breath and pushed against the ropes. They didn't budge.

But the cot did.

After a second of frantic thought, he began to wriggle his entire body, trying to continue tipping the cot. A couple of its legs lifted briefly off the floor.

He had no idea what he'd do once he broke free. The locked door had not crossed his mind, nor had the task of moving through the Xavier Institute's hallways without getting spotted and brought down by one of the X men. Not to mention how he would stop his clone if actually found him. All this, strapped to a mattress, assuming he ever got off the bed to begin with. None of these questions had crossed his mind, only stopping his clone before he found Rahne. And, of course, the obstacle in his immediate way.

For the most part, anyway.

_I'm the real deal!_

Jamie paused as the words crossed his mind. On the face of it, the idea was ridiculous. He knew who he was; even when he had surrounded himself with a dozen clones, figuring out which one was creating the clones was never difficult.

Then again, he'd never given it much thought; just assumed, when the clones reintegrated, that he was still there. And this psychotic clone seemed sure he was the original, had even triggered his mutant power while Jamie couldn't.

_No. _He'd had enough mind games from his evil twin; no need to do his work for him.

Jamie resumed his efforts on the cot. The legs were bouncing higher .....

_This is taking too long!!!_

The legs landed.

_One red-head with a cute accent ...._

Jamie screamed and _twisted_.

The legs lifted off the ground.

And continued lifting.

At least until a pair of small, strong hands grabbed the edge of the cot and pushed it to the ground.

Shocked, Jamie looked up at his visitor, and saw himself.

* * *

"We already know about Jamie, Professor," Scott assured.

"Not that we get it," Logan added.

"You're sure you have them?"

"He's under sedation in ..... wait, _them?_"

"You found both of them?" Xavier demanded, sitting upright.

Scott, after exchanging a puzzled look and confused thoughts with Jean, turned back toward Xavier. "_Both?!!_"

* * *

Rahne was now looking at something Roberto was sure he could not see. "I knew Jamie since the Professor brought us all to the mansion, Roberto. At least as long as I knew ye," she added, finally turning her attention towards him.

Roberto crossed his arms and scowled. "What's your point?"

"Ye knew him too! 4 years we played ball, fought the Brotherhood, ate breakfast, survived the mansion's explosion! This Jamie ...." Rahne paused "We knew him for a day."

"People change," Roberto stated. Sliding across the couch and wrapping an arm around his girlfriend's shoulder, he added, "But I don't see any point in changin', myself."

Rahne tensed against Roberto's embrace, then relaxed. "Ye wouldn't," she muttered, leaning her head on Roberto's shoulder.

Neither of them noticed Jamie standing in the doorway, rod in hand and fury on his face.

* * *

"What do you want now?" Jamie snarled. "Haven't you had enough fun with me?"

The clone merely cocked his head, looked at Jamie, then at the straps pinning him.

_What is he doing? He's not like the other ...._ A swarm of realizations hit Jamie. Another clone, much quieter and considerably less psychotic, appearing in the room without a sound .... "Can you get me out? Please?" Before he finished speaking, the clone was already working on the straps.

* * *

"Professor, I don't understand." Scott stared at Xavier, who was already climbing into his wheelchair.

"All these years, despite his unique ability, Jamie has always consistently registered as a single, distinct personality. Even if he had a clone in every single room, I could always detect what I call his 'primary', the central source of his multitude."

"The real deal," Logan grunted.

"Yes. _But,_ when I activated Cerebro and pushed its capabilities," Xavier paused and took a shuddering breath. "I sensed a _second _personality. _Another_ primary, if you will."

"Another?" Jean paled.

"How is that possible?" Ororo asked.

"I don't know," Xavier admitted as he settled into his wheelchair. "But wherever it, or rather _he_, came from, I was able to scan the surface of his mind before he knocked me out."

"What did you see?" Scott demanded, standing up.

"Lust. Envy. Hatred. A sheer, narcissistic malice ...." Xavier shuddered, then looked up at his X men. "And, if you have only one Jamie in custody ...."

"He's still out there."

* * *

"I don't suppose you'll hunt me down and leave me bedridden?" Rahne smiled against Roberto's shoulder.

Roberto grinned and leaned his face down toward's Rahne. "Well, if you asked nicely ...."

"He won't get the chance."

Roberto's head shot up, narrowly avoiding Rahne's, immediately before something jabbed into his back, sending electricity along his spine. _It __can't__ be! _were his last thoughts before sliding into darkness.

Rahne gasped and leapt to her feet, watching Roberto's still form slide to the floor. Then her eyes met their attacker's. "James ....?"

"Never did figure out what you saw in the guy," he said casually, twirling the baton in his hands.

Rahne's only answer was a low, guttural snarl as she switched to her canine form.

"Woah, woah, woah!" he cried, pulling a knife from the backpack. Aiming it towards Rahne, he added. "This doesn't have to get messy; just be a good girl, follow my lead, and _then_ you can show me your wild side whenever you want."

* * *

A part of Jamie felt ready to cry with relief as the last strap was undone. After pulling himself to a sitting position, he wasted no time placing his feet on the floor and pushing himself, somewhat unsteadily, to his feet.

As he shook his wrists, trying to drive away the numb feeling in them, he looked over at his clone. "Thanks." The clone shrugged, then folded his hands behind his back, as though waiting for instructions.

Jamie looked around the room. He had no way of forcing the door open.

But the airduct lay open. Just a bit out of reach ....

Suddenly he looked over at his clone, closed his eyes, and concentrated.

Soon, new sensations flooded. He opened his eyes and was greeted by a second clone.

He clapped his hands together. So he _could_ create clones. But why only now ....

Then he remembered what Alex had told him; how, when drugged up, he'd been unable to concentrate on his powers. Perhaps whatever Jean had put in _him _did the same. Maybe, despite the thoughts he'd had earlier, he was _still _the real deal.

Anyway, time to figure all that out later. He looked at his two clones, who waited expectantly. "Uhhh, can you give me a hand or two?"

* * *

Jamie whistled at Rahne. "Come here, girl," he called in a high-pitched voice as he waved the blade. "Come on; come on."

Rahne snarled and backed away from the advancing Jamie, waiting for him to move. Which is why she didn't see the other one.

The Jamie in front of her yelped as someone seized his hand holding the knife, along with his elbow, and spun, bending the elbow the wrong way. Without pause, his attacker kicked Jamie behind his knees, dropping him halfway to the floor, wrapped a hand around his face and shoved him the rest of the way.

Rahne blinked as Jamie straddled the other Jamie and began repeatedly slamming his head into the ground until the prone Jamie finally faded from view. "Jamie?"

Jamie finally looked up at her. "You okay?"

"Jamie, what's goin' on?" she demanded, shifting back to her human form.

"One of my clones went crazy," he explained as he stood up. "He's the one attacking everyone." He glared down at the floor where the clone had been. "Looks like he has his own army."

"How ....?"

"I don't know!" Jamie snapped. "But he already set me up _and_ said he was coming after you." He held out a hand to Rahne. "I gotta get you outta here; come on."

* * *

"Storm, Angel, Wolverine, get to the infirmary now!" Scott snapped. "Jean!"

"Way ahead of you!" Jean was already putting her hands to her temples, her mind reaching out to those in the infirmary.

"I'll see if I can locate him," Xavier put in, aping Jean's gesture.

"Professor, are you ...?"

"I'll be all right," Xavier assured as he began to scan the mansion.

* * *

Rahne studied the Jamie in front of her. Something seemed different about him.

"Rahne? Hello?" Jamie demanded, pulling his arm back and rubbing his shoulder. "What are you looking for."

"I'm .... not sure ...." she admitted, continuing to look him over. Maybe it was how calm he seemed, considering all that had happened. Maybe it was how his eyes didn't meet hers, but rather dwelled somewhere lower. Or maybe ....

Rahne suddenly reached out and grabbed Jamie's shoulder. Despite her somewhat easy grip, he screamed.

* * *

"Scott!" Jean's eyes were wide. "I just heard from Hank; everybody's at the infirmary except Rahne and Roberto!"

"Where are they?"

"Hold on, I think ...."

"Scott!" Xavier exclaimed. "He's in the ...."

"Rec room!"

* * *

"Rahne!" Jamie yelled through clenched teeth. "What are you ...?!!!"

"Just checkin'." Rahne cut into his sweater's shoulder, revealing a large bite mark. "What happened here?"

"Uhh ...." he grunted.

"Let me guess," Rahne growled, shifting back to her canine form. "A dog bit ye. _Like this?!_" She sank into the same spot.

By now, Rahne could barely hear Jamie's screams. Her taste of Jamie's shoulder earlier had awakened urges she had long ignored. Now, with the recent reminder ....

Jamie's left hook came without warning, catching Rahne in the ear and knocking her to the ground. "_Bitch ...._" he swore, clutching his shoulder. "I shoulda remembered: that's what you always were."

"Ye have no idea," she growled.

"That's why I always remember this:" Jamie grabbed the baton where it lay and stepped towards Rahne. "Nice guys finish last." And he swung the baton.

* * *

"Everyone! With me!" Scott yelled, leading Evan, Laura, and Sam out of the office.

"How many times ....?" Evan grumbled.

* * *

Jamie looked at his baton as it bounced off Rahne without so much as a spark. "You _gotta _be kidding," he groaned. "This piece of junk ...." His attention went back to Rahne as she swung her foot upwards, catching him in the jaw. "Okay; hard way it is!" he grunted, before firing his own kick into Rahne's ribs. As she rolled away, clutching her side, Jamie reached down, grabbed her hair, and pulled her toward him. Wrapping both arms around her chest, he struggled to his feet. "I think we've overstayed ...."

"GET AWAY FROM HER!!!"

Jamie paused long enough to receive a baton to his spine from yet another Jamie. As the Jamie holding her buckled, the new arrival dropped the baton he was holding, grabbed Jamie's shoulders, and shoved him over to the couch. "Rahne get out of here!" he yelled, at which point the Jamie on the couch hurled himself towards the new Jamie, driving them both to the floor.

Rahne rubbed her head and pulled herself to her feet. Turning around, she was struck by the sight of two Jamies struggling with one another on the floor. As she watched, one of them began to dig his fingers into the other's face. Grunting, the Jamie on top brought his fist down on the other's shoulder, provoking an even louder scream.

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" screamed a third Jamie, who grabbed the second Jamie and dragged him off of the first Jamie. Grinning, the first Jamie jumped up from the floor and began firing punches into the second Jamie. Before Rahne could even step towards the trio, another Jamie shifted out of the second Jamie – or maybe the first; Rahne was starting to lose track – and tackled .... one of the Jamies. As the two pairs struggled, a fifth appeared and darted towards one of the pairs, only to run into a sixth. Inside of the next minute, the room was filling up with struggling Jamies.

"Rahne!" she suddenly heard Scott call. Looking towards the doorway, she spotted the still-uninjured X men crowded at the room's entrance. "Get out of there!"

Growling as one of the Jamies landed near her, she ran toward Roberto's still form. Slipping her arms under his shoulders, she stood up and began to push through the mass of Jamies. She had only travelled a few steps before she seemed to run into a solid wall of them.

Suddenly, something slammed into them, sending them flying in every direction. "Need a ride?" Sam yelled. "Grab on!" Rahne obligingly passed Roberto to Sam, who grabbed Roberto's midsection while Rahne wrapped her arms around Sam's. In the next second, the three of them roared out of the room.

As they landed amid the group outside, they heard Scott yelling. "There's too many of them; we have to take him down!"

"Which one?!" Logan snarled. "They all smell the same to me!"

Scott grinded his teeth. "Then we have to take them all down!"

"Scott, no!" Ororo snapped. "One of them is innocent!"

Rahne's ears perked up at this.

"Can _you _tell us which one?!" Scott waved toward the packed room of Jamie's locked in combat. Indeed, it was near impossible to tell them apart.

Suddenly the mass of clones froze.

"What ...?" Scott began, before turning around and spotting Jean and Xavier approaching, Xavier clutching his own head and twitching slightly. "Professor?"

_Don't, Scott_, Jean sent over their private link. _Let him finish_.

Scott blinked behind his glasses and looked back towards the room. Already, clones were beginning to fade from view.

"Charles?" Ororo looked over at Xavier, who continued to twitch and grimace as the clones continued to disappear. Jean put one index finger to her lips and the other to her temple.

Immediately understanding Jean's message, the gathered X men returned to silently watching the clones disappearance while trying to focus their thoughts on something to keep their minds 'quiet'. The sight in front of them certainly qualified.

Finally, the room was empty of clones. That is, except for the two lying unconscious near the middle of the room.

Xavier gasped and violently shook his head.

"Charles?" Ororo asked as she, along with Logan and Scott, rushed to his side. "Are you all right?"

Xavier sighed and rubbed his head. "I'll .... recover," he replied.

Logan stood up and looked toward the Rec Room. Inside stood Rahne, staring at the two unconscious Jamies. "Ya sure ya got all of 'em, Chuck?"

"Positive." Xavier stopped rubbing his head and looked at the two Jamies. "These two are the primaries."

**[**

**The Next Day**

It was a matter of hours before most of the infirmary's patients were released, at which point they went immediately to work on the mansion. Before lights out, which Xavier insisted upon for all students and instructors, they had restored power to the mansion and finally unlocked; not that many felt like leaving at that very moment, burdened by the weight of the days events.

It was precisely that weight that was the subject of the next day's gathering in the rec room.

"X men." They knew that grave tone well, and immediately fell silent. "I doubt I need go over what's just happened to all of us." The blank, guarded, and exhaustive faces confirmed it for Xavier. "Though I'm not comfortable with raising the issue so soon after our ordeal, the fact remains that a decision needs to be made. And I feel it best that you were all involved in that decision. Hank?"

Hank immediately straightened up, wincing slightly at his still-present burns. "At the moment, they're locked in separate rooms; _without_ airducts." He took a slow breath. "And, I'm afraid that, this time, we've had to put both under sedation, for everyone's safety."

"Do we know how this started?" Ororo asked.

"Only in theory," Xavier replied. "It seems that our recent, more intensive sessions; specifically, our lessons in coordinating clone activity, were the genesis of this .... independant streak. By sending clones on more complex tasks, we were, in essence, teaching them how to operate, and think, independantly." He folded his hands as he continued. "As for the motivations behind this .... mutiny, I believe that it started during our battle with the Reavers."

"When one of 'em got shot," Logan growled. "I take it they weren't too thrilled."

"It was the seed of a growing stream of resentment within more independant-minded clones. The trigger must have been trauma from Logan's attack during his session yesterday morning. The clone solidified his desire for independance during his attempts to defend himself, a human's most natural desire. So he never returned to Jamie."

"Then why did he go after us?" Rogue demanded. "Why didn't he just run away, or somethin'?"

"Anger, resentment, and other dark emotions were at the forefront of his mind during the session, and there they must have remained when he asserted himself as an individual."

"This is .... riveting," Tabitha interrupted. "But I didn't hear anything about any decision we're supposed to make."

"Think about it, Tabitha," Scott replied grimly. "We got two personalities. One of them just ambushed all of us, and no way of telling which is which."

"_I'll _know," Rahne spoke up.

"How?"

Rahne sat back and crossed her arms, her expression guarded. "Depends: what happens when I tell ye?"

"Rahne ...!" Scott's face was beginning to match his visor.

"This ain't the time to play games, Rahne," Sam warned, only to receive the same guarded look.

"Actually, she's hitting on the crux of the matter," Xavier interrupted, leaning back and returning his hands to his handrails. Silence fell upon the room.

A momentary silence, anyway. "I don't see what the big puzzle is," Bobby grunted, sitting up straighter. "Once upon a time: thing gives us a beating. Climax: we beat it, and make sure it doesn't get another shot. And we live happily ever after."

Laura shot him a strange look. "What?"

Bobby gulped.

"He's saying we can't keep him here," Scott interjected, his face set. "And he's right: we can't let him try again."

"Oh." Laura settled back in her chair. "Then we eliminate it."

Even Bobby could feel the chill that fell over the room. "I thought you left your old bosses, girl," Evan put in.

"I did." Laura's expression did not flicker. "Or you would not be hearing my recommendation."

"You must be new," Rogue snarled softly. "We don't .... eliminate."

"Then you are keeping a confirmed threat in close proximity ...."

"Wake up!" Rogue snapped. "We're all 'potential threats', here!" She glared at the others. "Jamie's no different than me, or Jean, or Ororo, or Hank or anyone who blew up in the team's faces. But we haven't put anyone down yet!"

"Why are you defending him, Rogue?" Jubilee snapped.

"He's one of us!" Rogue snapped back. "Ah thought that was supposed to be enough!"

"What, keeping a psychopathic in the house?" Tabitha chimed in. "Sorry, I ain't into that."

"Why?" Piotr countered. "We are all dangerous, and not all angels."

"He's crossed a line, Piotr," Scott told him, his voice even.

"Right, and he's the first."

"Why is this soundin' lahke an FOH meeting?" Rogue demanded.

"This isn't bigotry, Rogue!" Scott's voice began to rise. "This is trying to keep everyone safe!"

"And here Ah thought it was about stayin' evolved!"

"Look, I don't see what all the drama's about," Roberto cut in from his seat next to Rahne. "Way I see it, this ain't even Jamie. Heck, it ain't even human."

"Say again?"

All eyes fell on Roberto, who was already stifling a curse. _Bad choice of words_. "I mean ...." he said, thinking frantically. "Nobody had a problem with the Prof wiping out Rogue's extra minds when they went all out. Anyone see a difference here?"

"I'm afraid it's not as simple as that," Hank answered grimly. "Rogue's mind was full of absorbed thought patterns; psychic residue of their personalities. What we have here are two complete individuals, both with the same appearance, same DNA, same _memories_, even." He closed his eyes, sighed, and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm afraid the only distinction is the choices they've made within the past two days."

"What are you saying, Mr. McCoy?" Kitty asked softly, her arms folded around herself.

"That any action we take against either one ...." Hank spread out his hands. "There's no mitigating circumstances; it's the same action we all must live with."

"Live with?" Kitty stared at Hank, only a quivering lip giving her away. "In case you didn't notice, some of us are still 'living with' his." Without another word, she phased into the floor and out of sight.

Rogue sighed and stood up. "Ah'll go talk to her," she said quietly. "Ah don't think Ah can listen to much more here."

The room fell silent as she strode out through the door. "So where does _that_ leave us?" Jean finally asked.

"Same place as before: indecision," Hank stated.

"Look, we can't just ignore this; can we at least agree on that?" Scott asked.

"It still does not answer anything," Hank countered.

Scott was about to retort when Sam spoke. "All right, then what choices do we have?" Looking around the room, he continued. "Far as Ah see, we can either report him, turn him in ...."

"To who? The police? The feds?" Bobby almost laughed. "Picture this: 'This just in: Xavier Institute claims a one man army must be arrested, but it's not their one-man army; it just looks like theirs.'"

"I'm afraid he's right," Hank sighed. "It would be difficult to prove to a court. And, even if we did, it would likely implicate Jamie; not to mention the rest of us, by association."

"If he even makes it to court." Alex put in. "They took me straight to a hole in the middle of New York, drugged to the eye; who says they wouldn't do the same to him?"

"They would find a way to use him," Laura agreed.

"I'm afraid they're right," Xavier said, his soft voice nonetheless commanding the attention of the entire room. "Turning him in opens too many cans of worms at this time."

Sam sighed. "Then that means we hafta deal with him ourselves."

"Deal with." Ororo's face had gone cold. "You mean execute."

"He means whatever it takes," Logan stated from his position in a far corner of the room.

"No." Ororo shook her head. "There has to be a better way."

"Like what? Extra chores? A week o' friendly couch-chats and Beethoven? Holding him here 'til he figures out how to escape?" Logan snorted. "Sorry, but I've seen types like this before; they won't change, and they won't stop, 'less we do somethin' permanent about 'em."

"It seems to me some of us would get along with the new Jamie," Ororo coldly replied, her eyes directly on Logan's.

"You know that's not true, Ororo," Scott snapped. "And it's not just about us, either. Right now Jamie's our problem; our risk alone. If he escapes, then he becomes a problem for others; one that we let happen." He stood up. "I don't know about any of you, but _that's _something I couldn't live with."

"We ain't the psychos here," Roberto added. "He started this, and he'll start it again next chance he gets!" He shrugged. "Ain't that why America still keeps its needle seats?"

"I can't believe I'm hearing this," Jean whispered, her face ashen. "How can any of you even _think_ about crossing that line?!"

"It might be that simple, Jean," Scott insisted.

"Really?" Jean glared at Scott. "Then what _have _we been fighting for all these years? Our own safety? The chance to hold the needle in our hands?!"

"Sounds kinda Magneto to me," Alex muttered, earning a quiet scoff from Remy.

"Magneto would not even discuss zhis." Piotr crossed his arms, his expression dark. "_He _would have eliminated Jamie by now."

"Exactly." Jean stood up and glared around the room. "I thought we were here because we hoped to be better than that! Because we're evolved." She returned her glare to Scott. "Or do we forget that the moment things get a little out of hand?"

"Are you serious! This wasn't a bad day at school, Jean!" Jubilee snarled. "The freak tried to _kill _us!"

"Did he?" Ororo asked quietly.

"Were you paying attention ...?!!!"

"Yes." Ororo's soft, matter-of-fact reply cut Jubilee's tirade short. "I've seen how many of us were at his mercy before he walked away. Before he left you all alive."

"Maybe he's getting warmed up," Bobby said.

"Or maybe there's a line even _he _won't cross," Ororo countered.

"Lotta maybes," Logan growled. "Means a lotta risk. For all of us."

"And if we 'eliminate the problem'?" Jean raised her chin. "Then who's the risk?"

"There might be no other way, Jean!" Scott insisted, his voice rising.

"I thought we were here to maker sure there was!"

"All right, that's enough." Xavier removed his hands from his chin and folded them in his lap, his expression unreadable. "Quite frankly, none of you are entirely wrong. We do have a responsibility to protect the public from our new clone. On the other hand, as X men, we live by an ideal; and we have an equal responsibility to live up to that ideal." His eyes wandered down to his knees. "Overall, it is clear to me there is no ideal solution to the problem we face."

"So what do you want to do, Professor?" Scott asked.

Xavier looked at Rahne. "Are you positive you can identify the .... newer Jamie?"

"What ye gonna do to him?" Rahne demanded as Xavier wheeled towards her.

"Our only possible solution."

* * *

Jamie Madrox dreamed.

It was a dream he would never describe to anyone. Indeed, he himself was unsure whether he could describe it at all. It was a dream – or maybe fragments of dreams, who knew – of success, of acceptance. It was a dream where he had abilities he never before thought of, where he found himself setting new ideas, where fun was always a moment away, where people listened to him.

It was the time of his life.

Which is why he was disappointed when the pressure on his shoulder slowly pulled him out of that dream. "What?" he moaned, his eyes still shut tight.

* * *

Jamie Madrox dreamed.

Given a choice, he would have rather not. His memories of the day were still fresh on his mind, and they came back with a vengeance.

He saw faces he knew, their eyes filled with fear, as they knew what he'd done, what he could do. He saw friends, everywhere stepping back, their weapons trained. He saw the world around him grow dark, while fingers pointed his way. He saw his own hands tremble as he fought the urge, that terrible desire .....

He gasped as someone touched his shoulder, finally drawing him from the nightmare. Opening his eyes, he was greeted by a blurred face, topped by a red blur.

* * *

"Rahne?" Jamie whispered as the blur finally came into focus. "I was .... hoping it'd be you."

Without a word, Rahne reached down toward him.

* * *

"Rahne?" Jamie whispered. "Did you .... draw the short straw?" he smiled slightly.

Without a word, Rahne reached down toward him.

* * *

Jamie grunted as Rahne touched his shoulder. "What are you doing?" he demanded as she tugged at his sleeve.

* * *

"Rahne?" Jamie stared as Rahne examined his shoulder, then turned away.

* * *

"It's him."

"Thank you, Rahne. Please wait outside."

Upon hearing that voice, Jamie stiffened. "What's he doing here?!"

* * *

"Professor?"

Xavier waited, his eyes fixed on Jamie, until Rahne closed the door behind him. "We've just come to a decision, Jamie."

"Decision?" Jamie slowly blinked at Xavier. "About me?"

* * *

"You've caused quite an upheaval this past day," Xavier stated as he rolled toward Jamie.

"Me?" Jamie stiffened. "What are you talking about?"

"Your actions." Xavier continued to approach Jamie's bed. "What you tried to do; what you _hoped _to do."

"That .... that wasn't me!" Jamie stammered. "It was him!"

"Lies will get you nowhere, Jamie. You've made your choices, and become a danger to all of us." Xavier rolled to a stop and placed a hand on Jamie's foreahead.

"What are you doing?" Jamie demanded as Xavier closed his eyes.

"What I must."

"No ..." Jamie whimpered as he began to feel pressure inside his head. "You're .... you're making a mistake ....!"

"There is no mistake here." Xavier's eyes remained closed. "And I warned you about lies."

"You should talk," Jamie snarled, jerking his head away from Xavier's hand. "Get out of my head, you fucking hypocrite! Is this your dream! Is this how you take care of those .... _humans_?! This is my head; I didn't invite you in here! Get out!"

"If you resist, it will be more painful than it has to be," Xavier insisted, reaching out and touching Jamie's head again.

"No!" Jamie jerked his head again as the pressure began to build. "Please; I won't do it again! I'll change, like you always asked; I'll be one of the good guys! I'll make up for all this ...."

"Perhaps someday, you will," Xavier replied. "But I have the here and now to deal with."

"You can't do this!" Jamie winced. "This is wrong, you're hurting me, Professor, _you're hurting me!!!_"

"As I told you before, Jamie, there will only be pain if you fight me."

"You bastard," Jamie hissed, squeezing his eyes shut. "HELP!!! SOMEONE!!!" he screamed.

"That's enough, Jamie!" Xavier ordered, his brow wrinkling.

"Get out!!! _Get out of here!!! _Get ...." Jamie suddenly relaxed and fell silent.

* * *

"You .... put him to sleep?" Jamie blinked his still-crusty eyelids, looked at the straps that Xavier had just released, and looked at Xavier.

"In a manner of speaking." Xavier was now looking at a point past Jamie. "I've placed him in a temporary coma, where he will remain until I'm able to help him."

"_Help _him?" Jamie rubbed his eyes. "How?"

Xavier sighed and ran his fingers across his own forehead. "I'm .... not quite sure yet. He's currently in what you would call a dream state, where I will visit him each day. If he ever .... reforms, I will release him."

Jamie leaned back against his pillow, his eyes locked on Xavier. "Are you here to do that to me?" he asked quietly.

"Absolutely not!" Jamie flinched at Xavier's harsh tone. "I _despise_ such invasions of the mind; even in such extreme cases."

"But you did it anyway." Jamie finally blinked at Xavier, who seemed to have no answer to that. "Am I an extreme case?"

"Your counterpart was."

"_My _counterpart." Jamie looked down at his lap, his eyes faraway and expression tight. "He came from me, didn't he?"

Xavier sighed and looked solemnly at Jamie. "He may have originated from your mind, yes, but he is his own person. He's made his own choices. _You _need not suffer their consequences."

Jamie continued to study something on his legs, until he finally nodded slightly, without a word.

Xavier frowned; there was something else .... "Is there something .... else, bothering you?" he asked carefully, leaning in slightly.

Jamie's eyes finally met Xavier's. "Professor ...." he began, before looking away. "Are you sure that .... that _he_ came from _me_?"

"I'm not sure I understand."

Jamie licked his dry, pursed lips. "He said I was the one that broke away; that he was ...." He looked back at Xavier. "What if he was the real Jamie?"

"He may have been trying to break your resistance," Xavier suggested.

"Maybe." Jamie took a shaking breath through his nose and clenched the bed sheets. "But can you tell? I mean, can you tell for sure that I was the .... the original?"

Xavier looked away slightly. "Try to get some rest, Jamie," he said quietly as he manoeuvred his wheelchair

"You can't can you?"

The wheelchair rolled to a stop as Xavier's face softened. "No," he admitted. "The only distinction between the two of you was the choices you both made."

"So you don't know." Jamie's chin was tucked against his chest, his eyes staring straight ahead.

"Not for certain," Xavier replied as he continued towards the door. "But I believe it." He reached for the light switch. "Many of us do, or your clone wouldn't have been such a shock."

Jamie continued to stare into space as Xavier quietly shut the doorway, leaving him alone in the darkness, alone with his own mind. "What if you're wrong?" he asked the empty room.

**THE END**

Afterword

Xavier approaches evil clone, who orders him away; deactivated your power; continues to approach, as clone demands to know what he's going to do; xavier says he's too dangerous to be let loose; clone calls him a hypocrite, then cries, saying he doesn't want to die

Briefs students: I've put him in coma, and will try to help him each day

Jamie wakes up in his room, alone


	13. Dark Depths

_**Previously, on X Men Evolution**_

"_All these years, despite his unique ability, Jamie has always consistently registered as a single, distinct personality," Xavier explained. "But when I activated Cerebro, I detected a second personality."_

"_You're the lie; the nightmare I keep remembering." Jamie's voice rose and he strained against the straps. "You're not me!"_

"_You're the one strapped down," Jamie grinned as he backed out of the room._

"_I've placed him in a temporary coma, where he will remain until I'm able to help him."_

_Jamie clutched the bed sheets. "Can you tell for sure that I was the .... the original?"_

"_No. But I believe it."_

_Jamie stared into the darkness. "What if you're wrong?"_

"_Wh-who are you?"_

"_Ohh, I've been called many names. To those pagans on those godforsaken island, I was a goddess."_

"_CHILDREN!!" Selene bellowed. "You sought freedom from fear; you wished for opportunity without servitude; you prayed, for deliverance from that fickle, decadent miserable excuse for civilization!" _

"_To those hypocritical emperors and the mobs at their feet, I was the devil herself."_

"_A monster," Kurt whispered. "I don't vant to see it again."_

"_To another self-righteous mob with their pitchforks and stakes, I was a witch that needed to be purged." _

"_This needn't go any further, Selene; release my students now," Xavier demanded._

"_Now, I am known to my charges as 'Mistress.'"_

"_We've had this discussion before, Sebastian ..." Selene began._

"_And they came back," Shaw snapped. "Again, despite your policy, Mistress," he sneered. "I think we'd better have that discussion again."_

_Selene's darkening glare now turned toward Shaw._

_Darkness. _

Night had fallen, banishing the sun's all-encompassing light and replacing it with the feeble glow of the moon and stars. Though they lit up the sky, they went almost unnoticed on the earth.

_Shadows._

They had spread over the vast forest, invited by the night, thriving under the tall, numerous trees. The forest was their domain now; it's features smothered by the dark.

_Death._

The forest appears that way. Smothered in shadow, seemingly devoid of movement; to many the human eye, it smacks of death, the final unknown, the dark place we fight to escape, knowing we will lose in the end.

What many don't realize is that there are many that thrive on the darkness.

At the moment, they were gathering.

The fox paused in its hunt as it felt the call. The toad fell silent as the sensation draws its attention. The glowing firefly flickered before veering towards its latest instinct. The owl jerked its head around, then flew toward the call. The opossum pulled its cubs closer as the call reached it.

They came swiftly, following instincts they did not care to understand, ignoring one another as they followed the pull they could not name. Raccoons, foxes, toads, skunks, – all creatures who lived and thrived within the shadows began to gather in a part of the forest.

Suddenly, a pained scream cut through the air. Most of the animals fled at the sound; others tensed up and cast their eyes about, seeking any sign of the dangerous predator they knew must be nearby.

Instead, they heard the scream again. It screamed agony, disorientation, fear. The remaining animals continued to scan the darkened forest. It was then that they noticed the blood.

It was also then that they noticed each other.

The scream was heard again, and was joined by hisses, growls, and other warnings as the gathered predators readied themselves.

The blood glowed in the moonlight as it added to the forest, cutting through the darkness.

_Darkness ..._

_Shadows ..._

_Death ..._

**[**

**Xavier Institute – The Next Morning**

Though forbidding, all-encompassing, and fearsome, the dark was not absolute. As time passed, so too the light began to reemerge. As time continued to pass, the light continued to make itself known, falling upon the land and driving the shadows retreated to their smaller kingdoms. Overwhelmed, surrounded, their spread checked, they lay wait for the next coming nightfall, for the next opportunity.

As the light spread over the earth, the land, with all its forms and features, became visible. As the light grew stronger, its living things awoke, emerged out of their hiding places, and began their day.

One such feature was popularly known as the Xavier Institute, and as the light fell upon it, it revealed the vast, proud mansion; battered, but intact; threatened, yet open and inviting; serene, yet dangerous.

The living beings that populated this feature, reacting by the lights early appearance (or, in most cases, the sound of their alarm clocks) were already going about their day. At their own pace.

"Everybody ready, Jean?" Scott shouldered his backpack and looked expectantly around the hangar that now bustled with young, still-groggy mutants.

"Everybody who's coming, Scott." Jean yawned and reached her linked arms over her head. "We're just waiting for the Professor."

Scott nodded and looked over at the gathered students. Though chatting animatedly as though nothing had happened, Scott could still see the spectre of their most recent ordeal weighing on most of them. _Jean, I know I've said this before ...._

_And I'll say this again, Scott_ Jean admonished, looking up at Scott as she continued to stretch. _We need a trip like this, especially after what we've been through. _

_I know, it's just that ... I would have rather had everyone on this trip, and ...._

_Oh, come on, Scott; if Alex, Peter, Warren, and Jubilee want to hang with their families today, who are we to say no?_

_We shouldn't. But leaving Kitty and Tabitha behind ... it doesn't seem right._

Jean's mental sigh was unmistakable. _Tabitha still needs to rest, whether she admits it or not. And Kitty ..._ Jean trailed off as her face fell slightly. Jamie's assault on Kitty had cast the darkest shadow on the mansion; just the thought of it brought an end to any conversation. Kitty herself was no better; her breakup with Lance and the effects of Selene's attack paled in comparison to the completely guarded, drained look she wore during the rare occasions she allowed herself to be seen.

_That's what I mean; it feels like abandoning her, even for a day._

_Maybe that's what she needs right now; some space. Besides, Rogue will be with her._

_I don't know ..._

_Scott._ The sudden change in Jean's mental tone, and the wave of feelings that followed, froze Scott in place. _Am I gonna have to partner with someone else today? Maybe Roberto, or Remy ..._

_Absolutely not. _Returning Jean's more private message, Scott failed to notice the grin forming on his face. _That's an order._

_Are you pulling rank?_ Jean inched closer to Scott and looked up at him, a slight smile of her own forming.

_Are you going to make me?_

_Well, that depends –_

"Am Ah interruptin'?" Scott and Jean flinched and turned towards Rogue, who stood nearby with her arms crossed and an amused look on her face.

"No, not at all, _Professor_ Rogue," Scott smiled. Rogue scowled and jabbed Scott in the shoulder. Rubbing the newly sore spot, Scott asked. "_Now _is everyone ready?"

"They're waitin in the Blackbird." Rogue brought her gloved hands back before her. "The only no-show is Gambit."

"Missing again?"

"Mm-hmm." Rogue rolled her eyes.

"What about the Professor?" Jean asked.

Rogue nodded slowly. "He was still talkin' to Jamie."

"Which one?" Scott's face was hard now.

"Don't go there." Rogue glared back at Scott before turning around and stalking out of the hangar.

* * *

"Are you certain?" Xavier stared intently at his young student, who sat in his bed fully clothed, his arms wrapped around his knees and his eyes still fixed on the wall opposite Xavier. "After all, it's been a few days since anyone's laid eyes on you."

Jamie was silent for several seconds before answering softly. "Did they ask for me?" Hearing a longer silence from Xavier, he shook his head sharply. "Then I'm not going out there."

Xavier sighed and leaned back in his wheelchair. "Jamie, I know you've suffered as much as any of us at the hands of your clone. But, whatever it is you are seeking, I sincerely doubt you will find it alone in a darkened room." He leaned slightly forward. "I really think it is time you rejoined your friends."

Jamie finally met Xavier's eyes. "I don't have any friends. Not anymore."

"That's not true ..."

"They're all afraid of me." Jamie returned to his scrutiny of the wall. "And maybe they should be."

"If they _are _thinking that way, they are wrong." Xavier rolled slightly further into the room. "And hiding out as you are is hardly conducive to changing their minds."

"Professor, I CAN'T!" Jamie finally yelled. "I don't know how, I don't know why, I just can't!"

Taken aback, Xavier finally nodded. "All right, Jamie, no one's forcing you into anything." As he wheeled back toward the door and rested his hand on the doorknob. "In the meantime, Rogue's in charge of the mansion while I'm gone; let her know if you need anything."

Jamie's gaze didn't shift as Xavier gently shut the door. _I wish I knew what._

* * *

Logan shivered as he stepped outside. _This is getting old. _Since Jamie's attack on the mansion several days ago, the Institute had been plagued by a string of cold spells. Strangely enough, they seemed to occur whenever he was in sight of the Institute's resident weather witch.

"Can I help you, Logan?" Ororo's tone matched the temperature of the air, and she didn't move from her spot at the balcony.

Logan grumbled intelligibly under his breath before answering. "Chuck sent me to ... round up the stragglers," he stated, stopping next to the balcony's doorjamb and crossing his arms.

"Tell him I'm on my way." Ororo's scrutiny of the shore outside her window continued. After neither of them moved for several seconds, she sighed. "Was that all?"

Logan shrugged. "Just thinkin' ... it's been kinda cold lately ..."

"Has it now?"

"Yeah," Logan growled. "And don't tell me ya haven't noticed."

Ororo shrugged. "I don't always choose the weather."

"Right. So who am I supposed to try talkin' into spreadin' a bit o' sun for ...?"

"You would be wasting time." Ororo finally whirled around and stepped towards him. "Unlike us, nature does not choose: it does not decide when to rain, or how hard." She stepped within a meter of Logan, her eyes flashing. "And it certainly does not choose who gets caught it its path." Without another word, she brushed past him and stalked out of her room, leaving Logan out on the balcony.

"Oh, there you are, Ororo ....?" he heard Hanks voice out in the hallway. A surprised-looking Hank peeked into Ororo's doorway. "Logan? Ummm, the kids are waiting."

**[**

**Bayville – Two Hours Later**

One road trip later, the kids, along with their instructors, had gathered in the forest at the base of one of Bayville's small mountains.

"Professor, _no!_"

"Jean, it's hardly like you to refuse ...."

Jean clapped her hands to her head. "I'm sorry, Professor; but I thought this was supposed to be our time off!"

"It is; and its very important that we make the most of it. _All _of us," Xavier replied, his eyes flickering towards Logan and the smaller girl next to him.

Jean's hands closed into fists. "Professor, I have _tried_. Several times; whatever we try to teach her, she's not interested in learning!"

Xavier smiled slightly. "Yes, she has been .... difficult. But consider her experience: she's known no life outside HYDRA's regimens and the solitary life she led for three years. We always knew it would be a difficult transition, which is why we must continue to offer our guidance and support."

"I understand that," Jean stressed. "But can't you have someone else work with her today? Maybe Ororo, or Mr. McCoy ....?"

"Jean." Xavier's stern tone caught Jean off guard. "In case you've forgotten, you are an instructor at the Institute. Difficult personalities are something we all will have to deal with, now, and in the future. Find a way."

Amara Aquila blinked as Jean finally sighed and mumbled her assent. _Great, we just got here and Jean's already grumpy as ever._ Then she heard another raised voice.

"Man, I don't get this," Evan complained as he followed Hank into the woods, slashing viciously at any plant that looked unfamiliar. "I'm a city-freak; who got the idea of sending me back into the woods?"

"Just watch out for the poison-ivy, and you'll be fine," Hank replied good-naturedly. "I, for one, am enjoying the open air."

"I zhink I have leaves in my fur," mumbled Kurt as he followed them.

Amara fought a grin and turned to look for Rahne and Roberto, only to realize they had already left. _Well, three is a mob ... or something like that._ Amara shook her head. A good four years in America, and she still hadn't caught on to all of the slang, despite her friends' best efforts. Well, that could wait. In the meantime, she needed to find a new group or else be left alone in the woods.

"This is an useless exercise." Amara started as the flat, unmistakable voice reached her.

"How's that?" grunted another unmistakable voice.

"There are no threats here, and no useful information - "

"Course not. We're off-duty."

"I do not understand."

Growl. "This is when we get our second wind and get our heads screwed back on."

"My head is undamaged, and I still do not see the purpose here." Laura suddenly stopped and frowned. "Or why we are being surveilled."

Amara winced. _Smooth_.

"Firegirl?" Logan yelled.

Sheepishly, Amara stepped out from behind the tree and walked towards the glaring pair, her arms out at her side. "I .... wasn't surveilling you?" she offered nervously.

"Hmmphh." Logan squinted at her and crossed his arms. "Where's yer group?"

"They ran off." Approaching them, Amara added in a whisper. "I think they wanted to be alone."

Logan slapped a palm against his forehead, growling something about "... teenage brats ... hormones ...."

"Hormones?" Laura frowned.

In all her years at the Institute, Amara could not recall a frightened look to match the one crossing Logan's face. "No way, kid," he grunted, backing away. "We're not goin' there."

"Going where?" Laura demanded as Logan continued to back away.

"Kid, yer paired with Firegirl for today; link up with Red and meet us at the jet in 2 hours," Logan yelled as he fled back the way they'd came.

Laura stared after Logan, then turned to Amara. "Explain."

"Sorry, they wouldn't even tell _me_," Amara replied. Waving toward Laura, she added. "C'mon, let's go find Jean."

**[**

**Xavier Institute**

Jamie Madrox took another peek around the corner before continuing into the next hallway. So far, so good. Still no one around to go battle-mode at the sight of him, no one keeping watch on him, looking for the first wrong move. Whatever that was.

Truth be told, he didn't know what he was doing out of his room; the last time he'd dared wander the hallways, it had been like running into a wall no matter who he came across. The silences, wary stares and clenched fists that greeted him no matter where he went .... it was as though they were waiting for him to strike.

Not that he could blame him; for him, the memories of his – _his!!!_ - clone's attack were still fresh. What made it worse was seeing his own face on the attacker. Jamie Madrox, planning torture as though it were his latest game, beating friends senseless, trying to kidnap Rahne. Sometimes, it made him wish the Professor had put them _both_ in a coma.

But, for now, the mansion was mostly empty. At the very least, he could get out of his room for a few hours without running into so many walls, so many former friends, friends he was putting in danger.

"C'mon, Rogue! One ride; I'll be _real_ careful!"

"Ah've _seen_ you drive, Tabitha. And Mr. McCoy said no anyway."

"But _you're _in charge, right? I mean, who's gonna know if we take the last X van around the block ...?"

"Ah said _no_, Tab,"

"Please? If I stay cooped up in this mansion another minute, OH!"

Tabitha immediately forgot her plea as she sighted a frightened-looking Jamie trying to back out of the hallway.

"Hey Jamie," Rogue said much more calmly. "We were wonderin' when you'd show yer face,"

"Yeah ...." Jamie mumbled quietly, his eyes on the ground. "I was ... just leaving ...."

"Wait ..."

"Rogue, do you still have my ...." Kitty stopped in midsentence as she spotted the smaller X man down the hallway.

Jamie himself froze at the sight of Kitty. "I'm sorry," he uttered quickly before fleeing the hallway.

Rogue looked over at Kitty. The color had drained from her face, and she had stopped breathing. "Kitty ...?"

"Don't touch me." The drained, emotionless face had returned as Kitty turned and fled through the nearest door.

Tabitha sighed and looked over at Rogue. "I don't suppose it's too late to blow his evil twin out of the mansion?" A glare was the only response she got before Rogue turned away to follow Kitty. "Tune in next week," she muttered, rubbing her head.

"Kitty?" Rogue looked around the 'room' Kitty had retreated to, which turned out to be one of the Institute's supply closets. Seeing nothing, Rogue wondered if Kitty had slipped through another wall, until she heard her shallow breathing in the far corner. "Kitty? Are y'okay?"

"I know it's wrong." Rogue took another step forward and found her roommate curled up in the corner. "I know it wasn't his fault, I know I should be able to see him ..." Kitty's face tightened up, "But I can't, I just can't, I don't know how, I don't why, I'm sorry ...." Rogue grabbed a jacket and knelt next to her friend, holding her as she sobbed into the jacket.

**[**

**Bayville Forest**

Laura scraped her adamantium blades together, creating a metallic scraping noise that quickly reached Amara. "Bored already?" she called.

Laura paused and looked over at Amara. "Bored?"

"You do that when you're .... well .... not doing anything else," she replied as she continued making way through the trees.

"I do not like ... not doing anything," Laura admitted, returning her arms to her side as she continued to follow Amara. After a long silence, she suddenly asked, "What _is _the mission here?"

Amara shrugged slightly as she hopped over a particularly large tree root. "I don't know. Me, I just wanted out of the mansion, get my head cleared." She winced at the memory of the concussion she'd just finished recovering from. Then, as though on impulse, she stopped and looked around. "You know, this sort of reminds me of home."

"Home." Laura frowned as she analyzed the word.

"Yeah." Stopping to catch her breath, Amara leaned against a nearby tree. "My parents were researchers, always visiting the local tribes, picking up their languages and all that, so they never really lived in the city." Laura watched carefully as Amara picked up a nearby branch and stared at it as though it seemed familiar. "We were always in tents near the reserves, borrowing their tools and all that. They didn't even bring matches or laptops." She chuckled slightly. "First time I saw a plane was when the Professor came to visit." She finally looked over at Laura, who had focused her attention on something on the ground before her. "Uh, Laura?"

"One moment." After several seconds, she looked directly at Amara. "I was created by the HYDRA in order to serve as a test subject for their Weapon X project. When I was able to walk I was ordered to begin my training or forfeit rest and food. The routine went unchanged until 13.38 years, when the adamantium was grafted to my bones. I continued to serve HYDRA until ..."

"Laura?!" Laura stopped as she noticed Amara's confused expression. "What's with the life story?"

Laura frowned. "I was attempting to continue the conversation, but the parameters are .... unclear."

"Don't remind me," Amara sighed. Walking over to Laura, she place a hand on the young clone's shoulder. "I caught on to most of it, so will you."

Laura stared at Amara's hand on her shoulder, then back at Amara. "Underst-"

"_There _you guys are!" Both Amara and Laura started as Jean's voice reached them.

"Oh, hi Jean," Amara watches as the redhead gracefully slipped through a particularly tight tree cluster and approached. "What's the emergency?"

"No emergency," Jean panted as she came to a stop, flipping her hair out of her face. "We're just supposed to stay with our groups."

"Why?" Laura demanded, crossing her arms.

"So we don't get lost," Jean replied coolly, as she usually did around Laura.

Amara groanedinternally. _Not again._

"That it unlikely; I know this area, and your scents are unmistakable."

"Our _scents?_"

"... help ..."

Laura's eyes abandoned their glare at Jean and suddenly darted past her. "Someone is nearby," she snarled, extending her claws and dashing off, her nose already twitching.

"Laura ...!" Sighing with exasperation, Jean raced after Laura, followed by Amara.

They quickly found her near the base of the mountain, staring at the entrance to a small cave. "I don't remember this cave," Amara remarked as they gathered around the entrance.

"There is someone inside."

"Are you sure?" Amara frowned and took another step towards the cave. "I don't hear anything." A snort of contempt was Laura's only response.

"No she's right." Jean's brow was furrowed, and her attention focused on the dark entrance. "I can't get a clear reading, but ... there's a woman ...." Jean's suddenly winced. "She's hurt!" _Professor, there's somebody hurt; we're going after her. _"Come on."

_Jean, please be careful_ ... But Jean was already moving inside the cave, with Amara and Laura close behind. They had only travelled a few feet when they found themselves surrounded by darkness. "Amara?"

Immediately, the younger girl's flame cut into the darkness, revealing the rough, jagged walls surrounding her. And, of course, the ground that ended directly in front of Jean's feet.

Jean gasped as she took very quick, very large step back, bringing her near the entrance of the cave. "Amara, what kind of cave is this?"

Amara shook her head as she waved her lit hands around, illuminating the small plateau the were crowded upon. "Not like any I've seen."

"Laura, you're sure the woman's in here?"

Laura crouched down and took a deep breathe. "Her trail ends here."

"I don't get it." Jean crouched and peered into the chasm that seemed to end in a dark void. "How could someone survive a fall like ....AHH!!!" she screamed as the ground shifted suddenly, throwing the three of them to their hands and knees.

"Let's go before we find out!" Amara yelled, scrambling towards the entrance as it continued shifting further away. Jean had just struggled back to her feet when the ground gave way beneath them, pitching them out into open space. Into the darkness.

Jean screamed for several seconds before remembering her powers and bringing her fall to a jarring halt. Looking around, she spotted Amara's glowing form and reaching, gritting her teeth and catching her in the same telekinetic hold. "Laura?!" she yelled.

"Above you!" she heard Laura yell back. Glancing up, she spotted the smaller girl with her claws dug into the wall.

"Laura, do you need help?" Jean yelled as she began slowly dragging Amara and herself up toward the entrance.

"No. I will get there myself." Pulling one hand free she reached upwards to dig it into her next makeshift handhold.

"Okay, listen: once I get Amara out, I'll grab a hold of you."

"I told you I don't need ..." Laura forgot her needs when the rock crumbled before her claws. _Impossible, the rock should have held ..._ she thought, as she dropped like a stone, slamming into Jean and pitching them all into total darkness.

**[**

**Xavier Institute**

Jamie slipped into the rec room and shut the door behind him. Leaning against the doorjamb, he closed his eyes and buried his face in his hands. _Just like before_, he thought bitterly. _I'm the freak again, the menace nobody wants around._

"Rough mornin'?"

Jamie yelped and whirled to face the voice, slamming his arm into the door and triggering his powers in the process. Inside a second, there were a dozen Jamie's facing an unfazed-looking Remy, who grinned and leaned back in his chair, shuffling a deck of cards. "Was always told I drew a crowd."

"Not funny." Jamie glowered as he recalled his clones. As the last one merged, he took a quick look around.

"Not to worry, petite, y'got 'em all," Remy remarked, his eyes back on the table before him.

"I didn't ask you."

"Right." Remy returned his focus to the small stacks of cards forming on the table.

Jamie crossed his arms as he thought about how to make a discreet exit. "What are you doing, anyway?"

Remy shrugged as he continued to deal. "Don't do nature walks, petite; _quoi de plus_, it's not every day I can live in dis house wit'out de red eyes and de steel claws trackin' me."

"Oh." For some reason, Jamie couldn't think of an adequate reply. So he wasn't the only one hiding out. "What are you playing?"

"Solitaire." After staring at the cards for a second, Remy began picking up cards and placing them elsewhere. "Been playin' a lot, since I came here. _Et vous?_"

"I hate solitaire," Jamie grumbled, turning toward the other side of the room.

"It does lose its charm pretty quick." Remy finally looked up at Jamie as he laid down another card. "But players are hard to come by 'round here."

"Yeah ..." Silence followed, interrupted only by the flicker of Remy's cards. "Can you play poker?" Jamie suddenly asked.

"Ha!" Remy raised an eyebrow as he glanced up at Jamie. "Can you, _petit_?"

"Rogue taught me." Placing his hands on his hips, Jamie looked squarely at Remy.

Remy snickered at the sight. "_Desolee_, _mon petit ami_," he replied, returning his attention to the cards. "Need more'n 2 players." As he placed his next card, he realized he could hear several footsteps approaching from Jamie's direction. Looking up, he found himself surrounded by four Jamies, all looking at him expectantly. "Point taken; grab a chair, all o' ya."

**[ **

**Bayville Forest**

Jean dwelt in darkness.

It was all she could see, all around her, even when she tried looking at her own body. Nothing seemed to exist except the dark void.

She hated it.

There was nothing to see, nothing to act on. No hope, no ideas, just the darkness.

Jean begin desperately hoping for a light, any light, anything to drive back this void.

As if on cue, something glowed in front of her.

Jean gasped. Light had finally arrived. She strained her eyes as she stared at the form. She could not quite make out its shape, only that it was the brightest object she had ever seen.

And it was coming at her.

A part of Jean knew she should get out of its way, that the object should have blinded her by now. A part of her wanted to flee, keep the light at a safe distance, yet, surrounded by darkness, she could not look at anything else.

The object grew and took form. Jean squinted at it ... were those _wings?_

As it grew closer she could see its surface, dancing like a flame that wouldn't go out. Already, she could feel her face heat up.

Jean found herself trying to back away, push at the light. But there was nowhere to go in this void, and the light still approached. So frightening, and yet tempting .... Jean cried out as it closed in, its flames already reaching out, the pain, she was_ burning!!!!_

"NO!" Jean cried, sitting up sharply. A second later, she heard grunts from Amara and Laura as they slammed into the nearby walls.

Jean gasped and looked around. The darkness was still around her, but she could make out its shapes: the rough, uneven walls of a cave. "What happened?"

"Our original entrance collapsed," Laura growled as she pulled into their feet. "That rock is less stable than anticipated."

"Are you guys all right?"

"Yeah," Amara grunted, calling forth another fireball. "You slowed us down the last few feet, at least until a rock landed on your head."

"We had to drag you and our packs into this cavern before the cave collapsed completely," Laura reported as she rummaged through Jean's backpack.

"Completely ...?" Jean fell silent as she spotted what had once been a tunnel, now filled to the brim with rocks of varying sizes.

"Yes." Laura snapped, pulling a flashlight from the bag and tossing it to Jean. "We have little time; we must seek out an exit before our air runs out."

"No." Laura looked at Jean, somewhat astonished. "We have to stay near the original entrance and contact the Professor; the others can help us get out."

Laura frowned, then sharply nodded. "Agreed."

"First time for everything," Amara muttered as Jean put her hands to her temples.

_Scott? Professor?_

* * *

_Jean?_ Xavier frowned as Jean's call reached. _Jean, what's wrong?_

"Professor!" Xavier winced as the sound of Scott's voice reached him. He opened his eyes to see Scott running toward him. "Professor, something's happened to ...!"

"I know, Scott; link your mind with mine." Closing his eyes, Xavier focused his thoughts. _Jean, what has happened?_

* * *

_We're stuck inside one of the caves at the base of the smaller mountain_.

_Are you okay?!_

Jean smiled slightly as Scott's frantic thoughts reached her. _Yeah, we're all okay. But we can't get back out the way we did._

_All right, stay calm, Jean,_ added Xavier. _We'll find you soon, just stay ..._

_.... someone .... help ...._

Jean jerked and looked towards the open tunnel. "Laura?"

"There is an unfamiliar scent in that tunnel," Laura growled, her claws back out and her gaze fixed.

"She's there! And she's hurt! Come on!" Jean ordered as she sprang to her feet and ran into the tunnel, soon disappearing into the shadows. After a moment's hesitation, Amara and Laura followed.

* * *

"Jean?! Jean, no!" Scott cried, clutching his head.

"What happened!" Logan demanded.

"Something's wrong .... I can't ... I can't hear her! She's ..." Scott mumbled.

"Chuck?" Logan growled, approaching as Scott stumbled away, hands at his head. Narrowing his eyes, he turned his attention to a grimacing Xavier. "Chuck, what's the deal?"

"This ... this cannot be!" Xavier whispered. "I can't .... can't sense any of them!"

* * *

_... please ..._

_We're coming! _Jean sent towards the thoughts she was hearing. _Just hold on!_

_... can't ..._

Doubling her speed, Jean burst into another cavern, at which point she stopped short of running into the form on the ground. "Amara! I found her!"

Following in Jean's wake, Amara instinctively prepared a pair of glowing stones as she ran. As she entered the cavern, Laura following in her wake, she stopped to place them near the body Jean knelt beside.

"She's hurt pretty badly," Jean stated as she examined the woman, who currently lay curled in a fetal position, her back to the three girls. The robe she wore had been torn to shreds, revealing a body riddled with bruises, welts, and several deep cuts. Putting one hand under the head of mangled black hair and the other on her shoulder, Jean gently rolled her onto her back.

As her face came into view, Jean recoiled. Horrified, she dropped the head and shoulder and backed away, instinctively readying her telekinetic powers. Beside her, Amara gasped and lit upcompletely, aiming her hands at the prone form.

"What?" Laura demanded, looking from Jean and Amara to the body. "Who is that?"

"She's not unfamiliar, Laura," Amara replied slowly, her eyes still focused on the body.

"The last time we saw her was at a school," Jean added. "Up in Boston, in the Berkshire Mountains." Her eyes narrowed. "She was trying to burn our friends alive."

Amara sneered slightly. "Her kids called her _Mistress _Selene."

The cruel eyes they remembered finally turned towards them.

* * *

"What do you mean, she's gone?" Ororo demanded.

Scott grimaced as though he were fighting a migraine. "I can't sense her, this doesn't make any sense, she's not -"

"Scott." Scott finally opened his eyes and looked at Xavier, who wore the stern expression he often saved for Danger Room sessions. "What do you recall during your last few minutes of contact?"

Scott clenched his fists. "Nothing. She said everyone was fine, then heard someone who was injured. She ran into the next tunnel to help, then ..." Scott froze in midsentence. "They're not alone."

"It appears not." Xavier glanced over his shoulder as the Sam, Bobby, Ray, Roberto, and Rahne ran up, having been alerted by Xavier. A second later, Kurt appeared along with Hank and Evan. As they gathered, Xavier turned to face them. "Everyone: I assume you understand what's happened?"

"Where d'ya want us, Professah?" Sam asked.

"Logan, Rahne: I want you both to track the three girls."

"Got it," Logan grunted while Rahne immediately shifted to her canine form.

"Ororo, Roberto, follow them from the air." Though clearly displeased, Ororo silently nodded.

"The rest of you: split into pairs and start a search. They were in a cave, so Kurt: get them to the base of the mountains and focus your searches there."

"Understood."

* * *

Selene chuckled softly as Laura joined Jean and Amara in their armed scrutiny. "Come, now; you wouldn't attack an old lady on her deathbed, would you?" She coughed hoarsely, spitting up blood. Jean winced as a wave of pain reached her mind.

_Jean? _Amara thought discreetly. _Any ideas?_

Jean was too busy studying Selene, who continued to writhe before them. Selene, someone who had become prominent in most of the X men's nightmares in a way Magneto, Deathstrike, even Apocalypse had never matched; who had tortured some of her closest friends, and would have killed them if Xavier hadn't intervened. The thought of letting the woman bleed out, return the favour and take her out of their lives for good crossed her mind ...

_No._ Jean twitched and lowered her hands. No way she was stooping that low. On impulse, she stepped forward and placed both hands on Selene. "Take it easy," she told her as she gently rolled her onto her back and slid her backpack under her head.

_Jean?_ she heard Amara's surprised thought.

_Keep an eye on her_, she sent to Amara and Laura. _I have to treat her wounds._

_I was told she was a threat ..._

_Maybe. But we're not,_ she replied sternly, as she pulled a first-aid kit, towel, and a water bottle from her own backpack and set to work.

Within minutes, after Jean had wiped the excess blood away, bandaged the major cuts and given Selene some water, the older woman had recovered enough to speak in a normal tone of voice. It was at this point which Laura began what she knew best.

"Why are you here?"

Selene took a slow breath. "Because of _you_," she sneered. "Your little excursion to _my_ school cost me dearly. I lost face in front of my entire student body, face I could not afford to lose; especially not within _my_ school."

"You mean the school _you _made?" Amara asked incredulously.

"Yes." Selene sneered at Amara. "It was barely a week after you left that my own students turned against me. They had their own ideas for the school's future; ideas which did not include me." She looked away. "They dropped me down here when it was over."

"You did not fight back?" demanded an unswayed Laura.

"Of course I did; but even my powers could not hold off an entire school of my children."

Laura crouched next to Selene. "I was told that you draw energy from others to add to your own powers; they should have been sufficient to defend yourself."

"I was taken by surprise," Selene insisted. "I taught my students well; they banded against me while I was weak."

Laura's nose twitched. "There are no other scents, in this cave or outside. No one brought you here; you are lying."

"Laura ..." Jean warned.

"You're a persistent little bitch." Selene glared at Laura. "I already told you: I wasn't escorted down here; I was dumped."

"Describe the attack; every detail ..."

Selene suddenly burst into a coughing fit, thrashing about as she hacked up more blood.

"Laura, that's enough!" Jean snapped as she reached out to steady Selene.

"I am not finished ..." Laura stopped as Selene suddenly lunged toward her, breaking free of Jean and wrapping one hand around Laura's throat.

"Listen, you stupid little girl," Selene hissed, her face an inch from Laura's. Before she could continue, Laura was already driving a knee into her stomach. Immediately, she followed up with a forearm strike to the hand at her throat, along with a backhand to Selene's face.

"_LAURA!!_" Furious, Jean wrapped her arms around Laura's midsection, and dragged her toward the exit. Amara shook her head as she watched. _Of all the times for those two ..._

None of them notice Selene's slight smile.

"What do you think you're doing, Laura?" Jean demanded as she pushed Laura towards the opposite wall.

"Selene is a threat, and she is attempting to mislead us," Laura snarled. "It is critical we find out what she is doing here."

Jean crossed her arms, still staring daggers at Laura. "I don't know what they taught you at HYDRA, but I've tried tell you, _repeatedly_: we don't cross that line. We don't start fights, and we don't torture everyone who gives us a bad feeling!"

Laura returned Jean's glare. "Shadowcat was incapacitated for days after her encounter. Nightcrawler was tortured. I was told that other X men were beaten, and seconds away from ..."

"I _know_ all that!" Jean hissed, closing her hands into fists. "But we're not her!"

"You intend to treat her until she regains her strength?" Laura demanded. When Jean simply raised her chin, she stepped toward her. "That is too dangerous; I cannot allow that."

"_You_ don't get to choose!" Jean snarled down at Laura.

"Then _that _is the problem we have."

"Don't even try it!"

"I have done it before!" Laura's claws extended.

"You won't take me surprise this time ...!"

"HEY!"

Both girls started, then looked over at Amara, who stood in the entrance, glowering at Jean and Laura. Jean glowered back, then realized she was floating a foot in the air.

"_What_ are you guys doing?" Amara demanded, stepping into the chamber.

"Jean Grey is making an error in judgment ..."

"Laura wants to grill Selene ..."

"WILL YOU STOP IT!" Amara snapped, lighting up as though emphasizing her order. Struck by Amara's reaction, Laura and Jean both fell silent. "You're starting this now? Of all times, you want to do this now?!"

"A decision must be made," Laura growled.

"Okay. Fine." Stepping in between Jean and Laura, Amara glared defiantly at both. "I say we wait. Wait for the Professor and the others to find us."

"They may not arrive in time," Laura growled. "We should not let our guard down."

"We won't. And they can help us figure out what to do about Selene."

Laura frowned, then finally retracted her blades. "Agreed."

"Good. And save all _that_," Amara added, waving towards Jean and Laura, "for another time." Turning away, she added under her breath, "Like the Danger Room."

**[**

**Xavier Institute**

"How many?"

"Umm ... " Jamie looked down at his cards. "Two. Threes, if you have them."

Remy sighed. "Wrong game, petit. Like I told y': never let de ot'er players know what y'got, or what y'lookin' for."

"Isn't that lying?"

"_Non_," Remy replied, putting two cards down and picking two others up. "'Cause I ain't askin'." Sensing confusion from Jamie, he looked up. "'Till de time comes to show your cards, it must remain your secret. Dat's de game."

Jamie nodded, then each of his clones took two cards.

"Hey! Whaddya think yer doin'?!" Jamie and Remy looked up in surprise as Rogue stormed into the room, followed by an amused-looking Tabitha.

"_Bonjour_, _chere et mam'selle_," Remy replied coolly, leaning back in his chair. "And I b'lieve our crime was escapin' yo' watchful eyes." Flashing a wide smile, he reached out and grasped one of the Jamie's shoulders. "But hey: us untrustworthy types gotta stick toget'er."

Rogue's mouth open and closed several times before she could speak with something approaching a calm voice. "Jamie: what's he been teachin ya?"

"Well, uhhh ..."

"A gentlemen's game, _chere_, not to worry," Remy cut in.

"That what you call it?" Rogue placed her hands on her hips, scowling at Remy. "Jamie, how much has he taken from you?"

Jamie's eyes were wide now. "Umm ..." Tabitha desperately fought a snicker.

"Ain't no takin' in dis game, chere, only winnin'."

"Is that what ya say to everyone ya cheat outta their money?"

"Cheating?" Jamie looked from Rogue to Remy. "I thought we were playing by the rules."

"Oh, we are, _petit._" Remy leaned back in his chair and stared directly at Rogue. "But cheatin's a funny t'ing. When de house changes de rules, or de stakes get too high, dey ain't no choice but t'be flexible and start crossin' a few lines."

"You'd know all about that, wouldn't ya?" Rogue's glare seemed to darken her own face somehow.

"I would." Remy's face maintained its calm. "Hasn't failed me so far."

"No, you always made out well fer _yourself_." Silence filled the room as Rogue's last comment hit home.

Finally, Rogue spoke up. "Jamie, deal me in."

**[ **

**Bayville Forest**

"Anything, Logan?"

"Still nothing."

"Kurt?"

"_Nein_."

"Sam?"

"Nah."

"Well, keep looking." After terminating the link, Scott threw his communicator to the ground.

"Scott!" Scott turned toward his mentor, who was turning his own well-known glare on him. "You're not helping anyone, acting that way."

Scott sighed and pressed his fingers against his temples. "I'm sorry, Professor. I just ... I can't think straight when she's not ...." Scott paused, holding his hands near his head. "... not _here_."

"I understand, Scott..."

"And I _don't_, Professor!" Scott snapped, facing Xavier again. "I don't understand how this could happen, unless ...?" Scott trailed off as the thought crossed both men's minds.

"Scott." Xavier waited until his student finally met his eyes before continuing. "That thought is not helping either. There could be any number of reasons why we can't sense the girls."

"You mean like Magneto. Or the Reavers, maybe?"

"I don't believe so." Xavier looked out toward the forest. "As far as I know, Magneto could only shield his own mind, not an entire area. And whatever the Reavers used, it cast a form of ... psychic static over the area. What we have here ...." Xavier's brow furrowed as he continued to study the distant scene.

"Professor?" Scott looked over at the area Xavier was studying. Nothing, but a couple birds fighting over a piece of food. "What is it?"

"Those birds, Scott," Xavier pointed. "I can't seem to sense them either; it's like staring into a void."

Scott stared aghast. "Who could do that?"

"Chuck?" growled Logan's voice over the comlink. "We're gettin' a scent."

* * *

Selene hissed in pain as Amara's heated rock pressed against one of her larger wounds. "Sorry," Amara muttered, pulling the rock back. "But I have to cauterize the wounds; we might be here a while, and ..."

"Continue, child," Selene whispered as she relaxed. "I do not fear pain." Closing her eyes, she smiled slightly. "In fact, I thrive on it."

A dark frown formed on Amara's face. "Yours, or others'?" she found herself asking.

Selene chuckled weakly. "You think I'm a monster, don't you?" When Amara didn't answer, she went on. "Oh, I'm not going to apologize for who I am. Not all of us aspire to be saints like your old cripple. Myself, I always preferred the shadows. There's no judgment, no control ..." Selene's eyes took on a faraway look. "One can be free, free from the rule of others and the inhibitions of one's own mind." She suddenly looked over at Amara. "You know, _that_ was what _my_ Academy was to me: a refuge within the darkness, somewhere where one could ... explore it." She snorted softly. "If you hadn't already invaded, you all could have been its latest students. You, more than any of them."

"Me?!" Amara heard her voice rising. "You don't even know me!"

"No?" Selene smiled. "You see, I once lived on an island steeped in the ways of antiquity, an island well hidden from _civilization_. I made many friends on that island; one of them had a daughter, with hair like the sun and a temper like the fires of the earth."

"Why don't you go visit her?" Amara snapped, putting her glowing rock down, leaning against the wall away from Selene, and wrapping her arms around her knees.

"Oh, I'm no longer welcome on that island, child," Selene replied, looking away. "Shame, really. There's no life like it in this world." She looked back at Amara. "Don't you recall?"

Amara narrowed her eyes. "I don't know who you think I am, but you're _way _off." She stood up, still glaring at Selene. "My parents are scientists, and we never lived on any island."

Selene stared at Amara for what seemed like an eternity before chuckling. "I see. My mistake." Suddenly, she froze, as if an image from her nightmares (if this woman _had _nightmares; Amara didn't see how she could) had appeared before her.

"Amara?" Jean now stood in the cavern's entrance.

Eager to put some distance between herself and Selene, and the thoughts she was already stirring, Amara turned and walked past Jean to the adjoining cavern. "Where's Laura?" she whispered.

"She's looking for other exits."

"Did you get through to the Professor?"

"No." Jean sighed and rubbed her head. "I can't get through to _anyone_. Not the Professor, not Scott ..." She shook her head sharply. "It doesn't make sense."

Amara looked over her shoulder. "Could it be _her?_" she whispered.

Knowing who Amara was referring to, Jean shrugged. "It could be; it could be all this rock between us, it could be the bump on my head. I just don't know." She wrapped her arms around herself. "I think I'm starting to pick up Ororo's claustrophobia."

Amara snorted. "I jumped into a volcano once; being buried hasn't bothered me since."

Jean snickered quietly, then looked curiously at the younger girl. "Amara, what's going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"There's something bothering you about Selene ...."

All of a sudden, Amara felt anger wash over her. "Are you reading my mind?!" she demanded, stepping away from Jean and putting her hands to her forehead.

"No!" Jean snapped back. "But you've been acting really weird since you left her side. What did she say to you?"

"Why don't you look for yourself?" Amara replied smartly.

"That's not even funny ..."

"I wasn't joking." Amara placed both hands on her hips and fixed Jean with a challenging stare. "And I wasn't talking about my mind."

Jean, mouth wide open now, shot a glance toward Selene's cavern and then back toward Amara. "I'm sorry I asked ..."

"Why? You said yourself she might be the one blocking your mind, and ... well, you saw what she tried to do ....!"

"That doesn't matter, Amara!" Jean's color had risen. "And why do you really want me to probe her mind, anyway?"

Amara hesitated. "It's .... personal ..."

Jean stared, aghast. "Okay, let me get this straight: we're stuck under a mountain, _completely_ cut off from our friends, trapped along with the old headmistress of the Academy from Hell, not to mention another killer, and you want me to stroll down _someone else's memory lane??!!!!!_"

"What is your problem?!" Amara shouted back. "It's not like you haven't done this before ....!"

"Don't even go there, Amara!" Jean warned, not noticing her feet floating several inches above the ground. "Cooper was a mistake; I'm not going that far again!"

"I wasn't _talking_ about Cooper!" Amara snarled, as small flames began to appear on her skin, burning through her clothes. "God, what are you so afraid of?!"

"_I'M NOT THE ONE WHO SHOULD BE AFRAID!!!!_"

As Jean's voice rang through the cavern, her body began to glow; at least that's what Amara thought she glimpsed before an invisible force hit her, driving her into a nearby cavern wall.

SNIKT

"Stand down. _Now_," Amara thought she heard someone growl in a low, flat, and deadly tone that she barely recognized. Raising her suddenly groggy head up, she stared at the blurred forms until they finally swam into focus. Laura had wrapped her legs around Jean's midsection and, holding herself up through sheer lower body strength, had one clawed arm aimed at Jean's throat while the other hovered behind the redhead's skull. If Jean had attemped to shove Laura in any direction, at least one of the claws would find their mark.

Jean herself, in contrast to the infuriated expression she wore earlier, now looked horrified. "Amara? Are you okay?" she asked quickly.

Before Amara could answer, Laura snarled and pushed her left arm's blades closer to Jean's throat. Strangely enough, Jean did not seem to notice: her wide eyes were on the downed Amara.

"Jean, I'm fine," Amara called. "Laura, let her go; it's okay." Laura shot her standard glare toward Amara, then finally retracted her blades and leaped off of Jean. Immediately, she circled around and positioned herself between the other two girls.

Jean took several deep, ragged breaths before meeting Laura's narrowed eyes, then looking past her at a shocked-looking Amara, who was already rising to her feet. "Jean?"

"I'm ... sorry." Jean had barely blurted that out before she turned away from them and fled into a nearby tunnel.

Laura watched her flight, eyes still narrowed. "Selene may not be our greatest threat here."

* * *

"Cannonball? Report."

"Watch it, Bobby! Nah, still no sign o' the cave."

"Well, keep looking" Scott ordered into communicator. Squeezing the communicator a little too tightly, he turned towards Xavier. "Professor? No ..." he stopped as he noticed the older man with his eyes still squeezed shut, his fingers pushing at his temples, and his face twisted into a grimace. "Professor?"

Xavier gasped as his eyes shot open. "The void ..." he whispered. "It ... it has a source ..." Without looking at Scott, he reached out and snatched the communicator from Scott's hands. "Kurt, we need you over here. Now."

* * *

"On my vay," Kurt replies. Looking over at Evan, he added. "Gotta go; Professor needs me."

"Go." As Kurt vanished, Evan turned toward Hank, who had his back to both of them. "Hey Teach, it's just us." Hank didn't move. "Teach?"

Hank suddenly spun to face Evan, snarling. Evan blanched; he had not seen this side of his teacher for years. "Uhh, Teach?"

Hank continued to growl, then shook his head. "Sorry," he grunted, rubbing his forehead. "The woods bring out the worst in me."

"Uhhh ... no biggie," Evan managed. "Let's just keep looking."

* * *

"Here, girl." Roberto's call was rewarded by silence from his fully canine girlfriend – wherever she was. He whistled, receiving what might have been a growl from somewhere in the bushes. "Rahne?" He frowned: he thought he heard _someone _scampering in the bushes. _What is she doing?_

* * *

Logan took a long sniff. "Damnit," he grunted.

"What is it?" he heard Ororo demand over the comm.

Sighing, he raised the device near his mouth. "There's somethin' messin' up the trail," he growled. "Smells like .... blood ...."

"Whose?"

Logan didn't answer, as the disruption to the scent trail now lay in the clearing before him.

Ignoring Ororo's demands, he lowered his arm and stared at the carnage. Every square inch covered in blood, the carcasses of its owners everywhere he could see.

There was a wolf and bear, locked in their deadly embrace. Birds littered the area, many lodged in the larger animals. Even smaller animals had joined in the bloodshed; a frog with a rat in its mouth was itself covered in the critters.

Logan snarled. He'd travelled through the wild before, and had seen the violence that was part of it. Hunts, territorial fights, all part of nature.

But this was not natural. This looked more like a war, which, as a rule, did not happen between animals. Only in human conflicts had he seen carnage of this sort.

**[**

**Xavier Institute**

"Rogue? You dealing, or what?" Tabitha looked expectantly over at the southerner, who stared at the deck in her hand with a frown of concentration.

"Yeah, sure ..." Rogue finally looked at the table before them.

"Dis time, maybe you just _hand _dem to us, no?" Remy suggested, fighting an amused smirk that died under her glare. Rogue's last attempt to duplicate his dealing maneuver, a maneuver she claimed she still knew at the back of her mind (along with whatever else she'd picked up from him; Remy wasn't sure he wanted to know), had ended with the cards all over the table, not to mention several laps. Out of practice, she had claimed.

"No, Ah got it." With an expert flourish to mark her words, Rogue sent a flurry of five cards to each of the table's occupants, including the four Jamies. This time, they landed on the table before their owners without incident. Except for the King of Hearts that landed face-up in front of Remy.

"_Aucun bien_, _chere_." Sighing as he slapped a hand over the card. "We gotta do dat again."

"Why?"

It was not often they saw Remy shocked. "Cause all cards on the table ruins de game."

"Says who?" Rogue met his glare with her own. "Ya still got four cards we don't know. Ain't that enough secrets for ya?"

Tabitha quietly whistled into her cards.

"Not de point; secrets are key to de game."

"How could Ah forget?"

The Jamies at the table glanced around nervously.

"I request a new deal."

"No. It's _my _deal, play continues."

"Dat ain't a fair game."

"What would you know about a fair game?" Rogue's glare darkened.

Remy's face retained its blank expression he saved for poker. "I know when it ain't one, and I know when somebody gotta even t'ings up."

"Can't win the game, change the rules?"

"When it ain't a fair game, _ouais_."

Silence reigned at the table again. Finally, Tabitha peeked over her cards. "Should we leave you two alone?" That got her a glare from Rogue _and_ Remy.

"Don't worry." Rogue returned her glare to Remy. "Ah think Gambit was just leavin'."

"Don't recall him sayin' _dat_." Remy grabbed the cards in front of him. "We play your way dis one time, _cherie_."

"Fahne. Who's in?"

**[ **

**Bayville Forest**

"How long?"

Jean glanced up as Selene's whisper reached her. "Excuse me?"

Selene turned her dulling eyes towards Jean. "How long before your ... _friends_ arrive?"

"We have approximately 17.6 minutes of oxygen remaining," Laura stated from her own dark corner of the cave. "That is if we minimize our use of air."

"So no fires, and no talking." Amara glanced at the small flame burning at her feet.

"Correct," Laura replied. With a sigh, Amara extinguished the flame, plunging the cavern back into darkness.

Jean had returned to them only minutes after her outburst, looking much subdued than before. In a quiet voice that Laura had to repeat to Amara, she had suggested they gather in Selene's cavern, thus staying together and keeping an eye on their patient. None of them voiced the need they also felt to keep an eye on each other.

Now that sat gathered in their own corners of the cavern as Selene lay in its center. Now, they could do nothing but wait. Already, the air was feeling thin.

"Jean?" Amara suddenly found herself calling.

"You are wasting oxygen," Laura snapped before Jean could answer.

"Laura ..." Jean tried to warn.

"Oh never mind: I'll just stare at the shadows and wait until I pass out," Amara glared.

"Our time is short; we cannot -"

_LAURA!!_ The young clone winced as Jean's mental order hit her. After another glare in Laura's direction, Jean put her hand to her temple.

"What are you doing?" Laura snarled, feeling the slight pressure in her head.

_It's a way to talk without using air,_ Jean replied. _Amara's right: we have to stay conscious. _She paused. _All of us._

_How thoughtful_ came the mocking voice of Selene, who Jean had just brought into the mental link she had initiated.

_I can't read your thoughts; just think what you want to say_ Jean instructed.

A bitter laugh was felt over the link. _How ironic_.

_What? _Jean asked.

_I've been surviving down here for days. Alone. You've been here for under an hour and you're already desperate to talk._

_Sorry for being human. _Even inexperienced as she was with telepathy, Amara could sense Jean's snide tone over the link. Strange: even with their most bitter enemies, Jean was the most even-tempered X man she knew. Then again, they'd never met someone like Selene ....

_How long were you down here? _Laura demanded.

_A long time._

_How many days?_

_I wasn't counting, but it was certainly longer than you've been here._

_How did you survive?_

By now, the mirth had fled Selene's voice. _It hardly matters now, does it? You've destroyed our only exit, our only source of air. You've condemned us all._

_You don't know that!_ Amara cut in. _Our friends will find us._

_Oh. _Selene's did not seem assured. _How do you even know they're coming?_

_We know. _Jean's glare could be seen in both the physical and mental realm.

_Such faith. _Selene's contempt was obvious.

_They've earned it_ Jean snapped. _I don't expect you to understand._

_Indeed I don't_. Selene's mental smile seemed to cut into them._ I was lying under several feet of snow when the Academy found me. They bathed me, fed me, and told me about their 'ideals.' A refuge for freaks, a place of learning, a mission of peace, all the usual tripe._

_And you showed your gratitude? _Jean asked sarcastically.

_It was a lie! Their generosity, their promises, their high-minded ideals .... more of the same._

_The same what?_ Amara found herself wondering.

Apparently, Selene heard her. _The same cycles, the same patterns. Authorities exploiting those entrusted to their care. Closest confidantes, the best of friends, turning on one another the minute the opportunity rose. Everyone fighting their way to the top. Millennia of change, and yet all the same._

_You would know._ Amara could feel simmering anger roll off of Jean. _You were in charge of that school when we found it._

_I saw no other choice. _Selene, in contrast, did not appear to give off any emotions. _They wanted to expand their hold, extend their idea of order to every corner of this forsaken world. The only way to stop them was to take control._

_Our hero. _Though it did not show on her physical face, Amara was already glowering at Selene. _And Kurt? Was he taking over the world, too?_

_Oh, your little furry toy? _Amara could imagine Selene sneering. _I never said I was the most virtuous women, nor have I wanted to be. But, like all of you, I simply want my own place in this world, my own shadow ..._

_We're NOTHING like you!_ Amara winced as Jean's mental voice hit her. What was she doing ...?

_No, you cloak yourselves in bright, shining virtue and bury the darkness in your depths, letting it fester. Pathetic, really, living in such ... self-denial._

_You don't know us at all!_

_No? _Amara could suddenly feel the formerly quiet Laura's presence enter their link. _Tell me, child: how many lives have become stains on those claws of yours? How much destruction have you wrought before you hid among these self-proclaimed angels of mercy._

_Don't listen to her, Laura!_ Jean ordered.

_And you! The public face of mutantkind, the poster child for the Xavier Institute? I simply cannot believe you do not know the terrible depths of the power you carry. Or do you?_

_I .... _

_Stop it! _Amara yelled over the mindlink. _Jean, cut her out!_

_Why? _Amara then felt Selene's wicked glee fall upon her. _Are you afraid of what I might tell your friends? Or what I might tell YOU?_

"I SAID STOP IT!!!" Flames burst from Amara's skin. Clenching her fists, she willed it into her arms; anything to shut this witch up.

"_Amara!_" Ignoring Jean's shout, Amara aimed her hands towards the center of the cavern, where Selene should still be lying ....

And was rewarded by a splitting headache.

Amara cried out and clutched her temples as Jean's attack hit her. The fire around her quickly died down as she backed away from Jean.

"Are you _finished_, Amara?" Jean demanded, floating towards the younger girl. "_Are you done?!!!_"

"_BACK OFF!!!_" Columns of flame burst out of the ground as Amara shouted back, surprising Jean and interrupting her telepathic attack.

"Amara, stop!" Jean yelled. "You'll bring the cave down!"

Amara obediently halted the flames. Glaring at the other three women, she began to back out of the cave. "You can _have _the cave!" she spat.

"Amara, where are you going?"

"I'm finding another way out." Amara continued backing out of the cavern.

"There is none," Laura argued.

"Then I'll _make_ one!"

"Amara!" Jean yelled, but Amara had already vanished into the darkness.

* * *

Logan growled as the cold wind swept across him. _Of all the times ...._

"Have you found the trail?" came Ororo's cold voice.

"Nah," Logan snapped, clenching his fists as the faint scent fled him. "Wind keeps blowin' it away."

"Can you find them or not?" Ororo demanded. She did not sound the least bit apologetic.

"Depends," he countered, finally turning to face Ororo. "Some bad weather's been following me around; any idea when it's going to lift?"

"No." Ororo's cold expression remained.

Logan's fists tightened. "Maybe you oughta do somethin' 'bout that; or would you rather I _didn't_ find them."

"I would rather they get home unhurt," Ororo replied, her cold gaze still fixed on Logan.

Before now, Logan's knuckles hadn't itched so badly around Ororo. "So? Are you gonna help me, or stay in my way?" he growled, taking a step towards Ororo and raising his fists slightly. Ororo's eyes whitened.

_Wolverine! Storm!_ Though used to Xavier's psychic calls, both flinched as this one reached them.

_What is it, Charles?_ Ororo replied.

_Come quickly; I believe I've found something._

* * *

"Everyone, converge on our location," Scott ordered. Turning to Xavier, he asked "Are you sure they're in there?"

"No," Xavier replied bluntly, his narrowed eyes still fixed on the collapsed cave.

"Then what are we doing here?!" Scott's voice began to rise. "They should be our priority!"

"I couldn't agree more." Xavier's voice remained level. "But the disturbance blocking my scan seems to be centered here, within this cave. If we find it, it should bring us closer to finding Jean and the others."

Before Scott could say what he throught of Xavier's approach, a loud crash cut in behind them.

"Dang it, Bobby! Do you _ever _stop playin' around?!!!" Sam yelled from the crater he'd formed

"What's the matter? Can't take it, Cannonball_ sir_?" Bobby taunted as he circled in towards him.

"You want me to? Just say the word, come on ..."

"Cannonball! Iceman!" Scott shouted, marching towards the boys. "We don't have time for this!" he added, firing a blast between the two boys. "_Smarten up!!!_" Both boys fell silent.

"Fer the last time, lady, I don't need babysitting!"

"It's not _you_ I am trying to keep safe."

"I don't think I like where yer going," Logan growled, whirling to face Ororo, who glared back without flinching.

"Storm?" Scott called, somewhat stupefied. An equally shocked Xavier glanced over his shoulder.

BAMF!

Evan coughed, then glared at Kurt as the sulfur settled. "I said, _thanks, but no thanks._"

"Vhat's zhe big deal? Professor said get _everyone!_"

"Just don't do it again!"

"Touchy, aren't ve?"

"What do you mean, you _lost her?!_" Ray demanded as he followed Roberto out of the woods.

"Didn't say I lost her; I said she _ran off_," Roberto snapped back.

"Who ran off?" Hank growled as he flipped down from a tree. Still crouching, he continued. "Where is Rahne? I thought I told you to stay with your groups!"

"Hey! Back off!" Roberto snapped, shoving against Hank's shoulder and knocking the larger mutant to the ground.

"SUNSPOT!!!" Scott roared, marching menacingly towards him.

Xavier stared, aghast, at the scenes before him.

"Stay out of this!"

"Don't push me, lady."

"You usually don't need _pushes._"

"For the last time .... !"

"I'm not taking any more!"

"Vill you lighten up!"

_ENOUGH!!! _All the arguing mutants cringed at Xavier's psychic shout. Quickly, Xavier went on. "I don't know what's gotten into the lot of you, but whatever it is, we don't have time for it now. Jean, Laura, and Amara need our help, so if you're not too busy bickering ... ?"

Shame seemed to wash across the faces before him. "I'm sorry, Professor," Scott spoke up. "I don't know what's with all of us, either."

"How do get them out of the rubble?" Evan asked, his voice still on edge.

"We have to find them, first," Xavier replied, putting a hand to his temple. "And we need help."

**[**

**Xavier Institute**

"Last draw, bet's twenty. Who's in?" Rogue glanced around the full table.

"I'm out." One of the Jamies laid down his cards before disappearing.

"Out."

"Out."

"I'm in." The last Jamie dropped his chips. "Can I add more?"

"You _raise_, petit," Remy instructed. Glancing up as the other two Jamies disappeared, he added. "Oh, and why de disappearin' act, hmm?"

"She said the game was over," Jamie replied, his eyes glued on his cards.

Rogue narrowed her eyes. "_Jamie? _Are ya passin notes?"

"Uhhhh ...."

"'Cause that means _out._" Reaching towards Jamie, Rogue plucked the cards from his hands and dropped them on the table.

"Next time, don' make a show of it," Remy whispered, earning a scowl from Jamie _and _Rogue.

"Tabitha?"

"I'm out." Tabitha tossed her cards onto the table, then leaned back in her chair. "Three's a crowd, but this is too good to miss!"

Rogue's face reddened slightly. "There's nothin' to miss," she growled. "You in, Gambit?"

"_Ouais_, and I raise you five," Remy replied. "J'st us now, _cherie_."

"Great," Rogue muttered, glancing down at her cards.

"And here I t'ought you be pleased."

"You kiddin'?" Rogue glanced at Remy. "Ah usually get blown up or kidnapped when Ah'm alone wit' you. Raise you ten."

"All in good fun, _chere_. Besides, y'still here, _non?_ Raise you ten."

Tabitha began chewing on her lower lip to fight a grin.

"Wonder how long _that's _gonna last. Raise you fifteen."

Jamie blinked and began inching away from the table.

"Depends on when you ask, _chere,_" Remy grinned mischeviously. "But, f'now, 'm goin' all in," he finished, pushing the rest of his chips into the center pile. "_Et tu?_"

Rogue scowled at Remy, then shoved her remaining chips into the pile. "Lahke Ah'd let _you_ keep our money."

"Luck o' de draw, now, _cherie_." Remy smirked at Rogue. "What you got?"

"You first."

"_Moi?_"

"Yer the one with the secrets."

"Only me? _Mam'selle ...._" Remy trailed off as he put on a thoughtful expression. "_Q'est-ce que ..._?"

"None of yer business!" Rogue snapped, pushing back from the table and turning to storm out of the room.

Even Tabitha and Jamie looked shocked at her latest outburst. "Uhh, Gambit?" Tabitha whispered.

"_Ouais_?"

"FYI: it's safer to call Rogue names than to ask for her real one. A little bit, anyway," she added, almost as an afterthought.

"Guys?!" Kitty phased through the doorway and right into a startled Rogue. "Sorry!" she added as she sidestepped away from the southerner. "The Professor just called. They ..." She froze as she noticed Jamie standing up from the table.

"Kitty?" Rogue put a gloved hand on her roommate's tensed shoulder. "What'd he say?"

Kitty took a shaking breath, then shook her head sharply. "Jean, Amara, and Laura. They're in trouble. The Professor needs us." She finally met Jamie's eyes. "_All_ of us."

**[ **

**Bayville Forest**

_Thank you, Kitty_, Xavier sent. Opening his eyes, he spoke out loud. "Shadowcat and the others are on their way; they should be here in a few minutes."

"We might not have that long, Professor!" Scott snapped. "That cave is sealed; they could be ...!"

"There's nothing we can do without risking another cave-in," Xavier interrupted. "We must have faith in them; they know how to handle themselves."

* * *

"We _have _to go after her!"

"That would be a waste of our limited energy."

"No, it's not!" Jean insisted, clenching her fists; that clone was already bothering her worse than Selene ever had. "We _have _to stay together!"

"No. We will remain in the chamber until the others arrive." Without waiting for a response, Laura turned her back on Jean and marched towards the cavern's entrance.

Jean stared. _Did that girl just give me an order?!!!!_ "Who do you think you are?" she yelled.

* * *

The rock glowed for a second before it crumbled. The next second, a fully lit up Amara strode through into the new area.

Another dead end. Or it would have been for others, anyway.

Amara fired another blast, melting through the wall. In contrast to her usual work, which left a neat, stable tunnel, her attack formed a ragged hole that continued to crumble.

Surprisingly, Amara found herself unable, or unwilling, to care. She just had to get as far away from Jean, Laura, and Selene as possible, no matter what lay in her way. She just hoped that none of them caught up, forcing her to ...

Amara gasped as she recognized the dark thoughts forming in her mind. _What is wrong with me?!!!_

Without thinking, she fled into the rugged hole she had created, then stopped when she saw what lay inside.

* * *

"What's taking them so long?" Scott demanded as he paced in front of the blocked cave.

"They are coming as fast as they are able," Xavier replied sternly.

Gritting his teeth, Scott whirled toward the other X men. "Kurt, can you port down there?"

"To vhere?" Kurt snapped back. "Into solid rock?"

"Then we have to make our own hole." Scott turned towards the entrance, his hand already on his glasses.

"Scott, no!" Xavier snapped, cursing the uneven ground as he tried to roll into Scott's path. "We have to wait ...!"

"Sorry, Professor: I disagree." Scott stopped in front of the entrance, only to find himself confronted by Logan.

"Pack it in, Shades," Logan growled. "You could hit them or collapse the cave."

"Out of the way, Logan." Scott glowered at his instructor. "Or I give your healing factor a workout."

"Scott ...?!" Xavier cried.

"Come on ...." Logan growled, extending his claws. And Scott lifted his glasses.

The blast slammed into Logan, searing his flesh and driving him toward the cave. In the split-second before it struck home, however, an armored arm wrapped around Scott's neck and pulled him off-balance.

Scott sputtered as he fell into Evan's headlock. "Get ... off ...!"

Without a word, Evan released Scott and brought the shaft of his wrist spike down on the back of Scott's neck. Looking up, he saw a crowd of shocked and angry mutants closing in on him. "What?"

"X men!" Xavier cried, struggling to wheel toward the group. _Kitty, I feel you'd best hurry._

* * *

"My identity is not the issue," Laura snarled. "There is only one correct course of ..." she trailed off as something behind Jean caught her attention.

"What?" Jean snarled back. This arrogant, sociopathic killer was becoming too much for her.

Without a word, Laura brushed past Jean and raced into their cavern.

"_Laura _...!" Jean yelled, before she realized what Laura had seen. Or, rather, what they could _not _see.

Except for the small pool of blood, the cavern was empty.

* * *

_What is this place?_ Amara wondered as she looked around the cavern she had just broken into. It would have looked like any other cavern, if not for the numerous additions.

Crude pockets had been formed in the walls, all filled with a wide variety of objects. Jars of plants, of strange-colored liquids lay on one. Feathers, bones – she really didn't want to know which species – and other animal remains were piled into another. Candles, rocks and jewels in odd shapes, mirrors, books .... the walls were line with them. _What's this all for?_

Amara froze as she noticed one corner of the room, where there lay stacks of human skulls, legs, and others she couldn't name.

A large pot – a cauldron, part of her mind recognized – lay in the center of the room. A fire burned underneath it, the dark liquid inside it was already bubbling – Amara cringed as the foul stench reached her – and the air above it seemed to shimmer as its steam rose. Following the near-invisible gas, Amara nearly started as she spotted light shining through a hole at the top of the cavern. _A way out! I have to ...!_

In the instant that thought formed, her flames died. Amara gasped as her legs suddenly gave out beneath her.

"You haven't changed at all," came the cold voice she knew all too well. As Amara dropped to her knees with barely a whimper, a much stronger-looking Selene emerged from a shadowed corner of the room. "Still causing trouble. Not that it matters now." Crossing over to the cauldron, she drew a blade, cut into her own palm, and held that hand over the cauldron, mixing her blood into the mixture. "Now, your X men are late for _class_." Reaching under the cauldron, she grabbed a burning stick, raised it above her head and plunged it into the cauldron.

* * *

"He was going to blow them away," Evan snapped.

"That was still out of line," Ororo shouted.

"And it was not your decision to ... make ..." Hank snarled in a more guttural voice than usual, then trailed off.

"Hank?" Xavier asked, then winced as a new sensation hit him.

"Anyone smell that?"

"Ya mean the stench that just arrived?" Logan growled as he limped up to the group.

"Charles, can you .... Charles?!" Ororo cried as she saw Xavier clutching his own head.

"No ..." Xavier moaned through clenched teeth. "Can't ... let it in ..."

* * *

"Where are they?" Laura demanded. "We must find them!"

"I'm _trying_," Jean spat, her hands still at her temples. "I can't sense either of them!"

"You must be making error ..."

"No, _I'm not!!_"Jean yelled.

Laura began to pace. "Selene is a high level mutant with unknown powers and no restraint. She has been lying about her injuries. If we do not find her ...."

"I don't need reminders, Laura," Jean hissed. "Now, will you let me _focus?!_"

* * *

"Wh – what are you doing?" Amara whispered.

Selene looked up from her work and smirked at Amara. "Teaching, in my own way." She now focused her eyes on the ceiling. "Yes .... I call on the dark of night, the cast of shadow, the dark depths of your souls ...." Amara's eyes widened as she heard thunder roll, and saw the sky darken. "Come ..."

* * *

Xavier opened his eyes as he felt the void nearby. _Something is wrong._ Looking up, he could see dark clouds rolling across the sky at a rate he'd never seen. "Storm, is this your doing?"

"Chuck ..." Xavier's face snapped towards Logan, who was backing away from the group, doubling over, and clutching his head. "Get outta here, Chuck ..."

* * *

"You should have eliminated her," Laura snarled, stepping closer to Jean. "Instead, you allowed her to escape, to continue her operations unimpeded, continue threatening ..."

"I said STOP!!!!" Laura was smashing into the wall before Jean finished her sentence.

* * *

"Hey, man who put you in charge?!" Roberto demanded.

"I said GO!!!" Logan roared as he swung a clenched fist that slammed into Xavier's shoulder. As Xavier tumbled out of his wheelchair, Logan snarled and stumbled away from him. "Don't .... tempt .... me ...!!!"

"ANIMAL!!!" The scream was followed by the shriek of the wind as it slammed into Logan, carrying him off the ground and slamming him into the side of the mountain.

As the rain began to join in, a shocked Xavier turned his attention to Ororo, who was rising off the ground as the wind and water flew about. "Ororo, stop this!" Hissing indiscriminately, Ororo ignored Xavier and fired a lightning bolt towards Logan, which he barely avoided. "Someone stop her!"

"I got it!" Sam clenched his fists and began to jet towards the crazed Ororo.

"No, _I _got it!" Bobby hurtled toward Ororo from a different direction.

"Out of the way!"

"Hey, WATCH IT!"

Xavier watched in horror as Sam and Bobby collided in midair. _They haven't done that in years. _"Berserker!"

Having taken shelter under a nearby plateau, Ray put his hands together and aimed at Ororo, his entire body glowing as the charge built up.

"NO!"

Ray grunted in surprise as Evan slammed into him. "Get ... off me ....!!!" he grunted, wrestling with the larger mutant for several seconds before firing several bolts into him, driving him into the mountain face. Wild-eyed now, Evan charged, slamming his shoulder into Ray's midsection and shoving him out into the rain.

"Evan!" Xavier cried in shock as Ray screamed in pain, smoke rising from him. "What have you done?!"

"Picked the wrong fight, that's what," Roberto snarled, landing near Evan before driving a glowing fist into his chest. Yet again, Evan found himself slamming into the mountain face.

"Ah've _had_ it with you, Bobby!" he heard Sam yell as he jetted from the spot he'd fell. "Yer goin' down, now!"

"Big talk, _sir_," Bobby taunted as he slid away.

Xavier stared, aghast, as lightning fell and spikes flew; as anger, frustration, and malice flooded the area, with a potency he'd never sensed from his students. "Hank ... I don't understand this," he admitted. "I need theories." Hearing only a low growl in response, he looked toward his instructor. "Hank ...?" His blue-furred doctor, teacher, and friend just glared back before he pounced.

* * *

"You were never abandoned, were you?" Amara grunted from her prone position.

"Oh, I was," Selene continued to circle the cauldron, her eyes still cast upward. "I lost face with my students, and they cast me out, left me to die." She snickered softly. "They weren't the first."

"Wh-what do you want with us?" Amara could barely summon the strength to narrow her eyes at Selene.

"My own place. My own shadow. My own ..." Selene's grin grew wider. "... amusements."

* * *

Laura's shriek rang through the tunnel as she launched herself towards Jean, catching the redhead off guard and driving her foot into Jean's midsection. Without waiting for Jean to complete her fall, Laura bounced off the rocky ground and dove towards Jean, claws forward. _Target identified. Eliminate._

But the target was already launching into the air, and Laura's claws were instead lodging themselves in rock.

"Don't do this, Laura!" Jean warned. Her hair danced around her, and her eyes were at least as wild. "_Don't push me!!!_"

With only a guttural snarl, Laura leapt up towards Jean, only to be caught in her invisible grip and hurled back down the tunnel, followed swiftly by an enraged Jean. "_I WARNED YOU!!!_"

* * *

"Can you hear it?" Selene grinned wickedly as Jean's shouts and Laura's shrieks reached them.

"What ... did ... you ... do to them?" Amara demanded as she managed to push herself up on her arms.

"Stay down." Selene gestured, and Amara's arms immediately gave out beneath her. "Your friends?" She shook her head. "I've simply reintroduced them to their true selves, to the truths they were taught to hide, to bury deep down." She turned back to her cauldron. "As I've told Xavier, and many before him, we are simply the shadows cast by the light, nothing more." She snorted contemptuously. "All this talk of _peace_, of _order_, of .... _GOODNESS_?!" She shook her head sharply. "It's a scab that won't heal, an eye that won't open. Not without ... guidance."

* * *

As Hank closed in on him, sulfur filled Xavier's vision.

As it cleared, Xavier immediately noted that he was now deeper in the forest, and the battle was nowhere in sight, though the shouts of his students and the screams of their powers still reached him. "Kurt?"

"Right here, Professor," he heard Kurt snarl. The blue-furred mutant was hanging from a tree by both hands and feet, gripping the limbs as though for dear life. His eyes were squeezed shut, and his face was twisted as though he'd found himself back on Selene's torture rack.

"Kurt, talk to me," Xavier insisted, crawling towards his tree. "What's happening?"

Kurt didn't open his eyes. "I've .... got a real urge to .... hit somebody," he grunted. "At zhis point, I'm supposed to pluck off my arms and legs ...."

"But you've resisted so far, Kurt," Xavier looked desperately up at his young student. "Will you let me help you?"

"Just ... hurry!" Kurt pleaded, gripping the branches even tighter. "Don't let me ... not again ....!"

Kurt's word only partially registered with Xavier as he began his probe, began to search the raging torrent that Kurt's mind had become. _Odd _he thought as the turmoil finally began to take form. _ An outside force .... somehow stimulating ... primal areas ... _"Kurt, do remember feeling like this before?"

"_Not again!!!_" Kurt hurtled away from Xavier and clutched his head, muttering. "... grant me zhe prudence ..."

"Kurt, this is important!" Xavier yelled, focusing his mind. "Where did you have this feeling?"

".... in ... hell ..."

And Xavier knew.

_Selene. _

* * *

"Why ...?"

Across the room, Selene sighed. "Always wanting reason where there is none." She whirled toward Amara. "Honestly, child: do I look like a woman with any complex motives that I would explain to you?"

* * *

"Why am I not surprised?" Jean stalked down the tunnels, the rock crumbling as she passed. "We took you in, Laura! We protected you from SHIELD! We gave you a life, after you already attacked _us!!!_" Jean whipped her head around, scanning for a sign of Laura. "And you haven't changed at all!" She tried reaching out with her mind, but found it impossible to focus, given how mad she was. "Logan beat what his old bosses did to him, but you haven't even tried!" Where _was_ that psychotic little girl? "Why did you even bother leaving them? You must have fit right in."

"They are dead."

And Laura crashed into Jean, sending them both into the ground. _Eliminate ... _

* * *

Kurt could feel the urges running through every fiber of his being. Every limb screamed for contact, for something to hit, something to grip; his nose and taste buds demanded blood, his eyes craved the sight of beaten and helpless victims ....

_Nein!!!_ Kurt's furry knuckles whitened as he gripped his head tighter. He'd knock himself out, impale himself to a tree, tear off his own arms and legs before becoming that person again. But it was so tempting ...

Suddenly, he felt his muscles relax, seemingly of their own volition. "Professor?"

"Kurt, listen to me." Opening his eyes, Kurt was greeted by a tired-looking Xavier. "I've dampened the affected parts of your brain, but it won't last for long." Another explosion, followed by more shouts distracted them both. "And I can't do this to anyone else unless they allow it."

"Vhat do you vant me to do?"

* * *

"I need new students," Selene linked her hands in front of her. "for my new school."

"I thought you had one," Amara growled, gripping the rocky floor beneath her. "Before it kicked you out."

"Yes, and I've never been prouder. To see your students surpass you ..." Selene closed her eyes and took a quivering breath. "There's no feeling like it." She finally looked at Amara. "Besides, I've waited a long time to see _your_ friends turn on you."

* * *

A shimmering shaft of ice flew from Bobby's hand, coursing through the rain and hail flying in all directions, and spreading to encase Sam, his leader. _Leader?_ he berated himself. _That klutz is no leader; it's about time he got his. _"Enjoy the ride!" he taunted, following the frozen Sam as he began his descent.

Suddenly, the ice glowed and shattered. "Jokes on you!" Sam yelled as he smashed into Bobby. Grabbing his teammate's frozen neck, Sam began a run for the mountain.

"Ack – let ... go ...!!" Bobby grunted, scrabbling at Sam's grip.

"Yeah, right," Sam deadpanned, glaring down at Bobby._ I've taken enough from this joker. _"Been waiting too long for this."

Bobby glared back. "Too bad .... you won't .... see it!"

In the next instant, ice covered Sam's eyes. "Bobby, you doof-!!!"

Their respective tirades did not last long.

Xavier grimaced as he saw the two boys slam into the mountain. _This has to stop_. "Evan!" he shouted, as he saw the young man drive a spike into a fallen Roberto, only to find the glowing Puerto Rican's skin impenetrable. Snarling, Roberto grabbed the wrist spike and hurled Evan towards Xavier. "Evan, listen to me ..."

"NOT NOW, PROF!!!" Extending new wrist spikes, Evan jumped to his feet, immediately before a snarling Hank landed in front of him. Without pausing, the blue, furry beast grabbed Evan, lifted him over his head and hurled him towards the forest.

"Hank ...?" His oldest faculty member, one of his closest friends, whipped his snarling head towards Xavier without a hint of recognition; only hunger.

* * *

"Can we, like, go any faster?" Kitty demanded.

"Ah'm _tryin'_," Rogue replied as she fiddled with the Blackbird's controls. "Jamie, any luck raisin' 'em?"

Jamie shook his head. "No one's answering."

"What is going _on_ down th-AAHHHH!!!" Kitty suddenly screamed as Kurt appeared inside the cockpit and crashed into Kitty.

"Kurt!" Rogue cried. Quickly flicking the autopilot switch, she turned to help Remy pry an agitated Kurt off of a shocked Kitty. "Have you gone _insane?!_"

"Not yet," Kurt gasped.

"Kurt, what's going on?" Kitty sat up and stared at her friend, at his clenched fist and tense expression.

"No time to explain! _Schwester_, I need you to absorb me before I lose control again!"

"What?! No way, I am _not_ ..." Rogue suddenly gasped as her brother's hand suddenly darted out and seized Rogue by the face. With his bare hand. He held on for several long, unbearable seconds before Remy leapt forward and knocked the furry hand away.

As Kurt collapsed to the deck, memories flowed into her, memories of missing friends, of uncontrollable urges, of .... "Oh no."

"Chere? What's wrong?" a concerned Remy demanded, crouching and peering at Rogue's face while Jamie dragged Kurt's unconscious form away.

Rogue looked up at her nearby teammates, still shocked but even more determined. "We gotta go. _Now._"

BAMF!!!

* * *

"Hank, you've fought this before," Xavier insisted, inching away. "Let me help you take control." Hank growled and continued to advance. "Hank, you don't want to -"

"HRRAAARRRRR!!!!" A smaller form in shredded, burnt clothing tackled Hank, and both fell to the ground amidst a flurry of slashes, snarls, bites, and howls.

"Logan!" Xavier cried. _Logan, fight this! _The Canadian only responded by sinking his teeth into Hank's thigh, drawing a pained howl and a slash across the face. Snarling incoherently, Logan extended his claws and began swinging at Hank, finally drawing blood. Roaring as Hank fell, Logan began moving in for the kill when a lightning bolt landed in front of him, sending him flying.

"You've caused enough deaths, Logan!" Ororo shouted, veering down towards her target, lightning gathering around her. Logan just howled in response and leapt up toward her. Nearby, Hank limped to his feet, eyeing Xavier and the other two instructors. In the distance, Xavier could sense Roberto and Evan running to join the melee. _This is beyond out of hand_, he thought to himself, before preparing his mind to broadcast. _X men! _

The combatants paused long enough to grab at their heads.

_Listen to me,_ Xavier continued. _I can hear your thoughts; I know what you're going through. But, whatever you're feeling right now, it's not all that you are! You still have a choice! All you need is the will to make it, and ... ORORO!_ Instinctively, Ororo dodged to the side, narrowly dodging a glowing Sam before he crashed into the midst.

* * *

"You truly don't remember?" Selene's eyes flashed. Without waiting for an answer, she began to walk towards Amara. "I'm thinking of an island, a kingdom free from modern 'progress.' I'm thinking of the family that took me into their care. I'm thinking of the changes I tried to bring to that island, the ideas I tried to teach." She stepped closer to Amara, whose eyes were widening. "I'm thinking of the little girl, always watching." Stopping in front of Amara, she leaned down and leered into the younger girl's eyes. "The little girl that turned her people against me, saw me purged from her little paradise!"

Amara gasped as long-forgotten memories flooded her. "You ... " she choked.

"Yes ...." Selene breathed. Straightening up, she added. "I'm also thinking of what this girl's _new_ friends will do to _her. _If they survive, of course."

* * *

_Target: advanced telekinesis, red hair, lives several rooms down ..._

_IRRELEVANT! _ Laura snarled as she blocked a hand strike from Jean and grabbed the wrist. One twisting maneouvre, she could feel the shoulder dislocate and hear Jean screaming. Pushing her the ground with a thrust kick, Laura extended her arm blades and advanced on the downed redhead. "Stand down."

The invisible shove to her chest was all the answer she needed. Snarling something unintelligible, Jean gestured, and Laura felt her self being dragged facedown along the rugged ground.

_Under heavy assault must take action no parameters ..._

Laura shoved against the rocky ground, propelling a shower of rocky shards towards Jean, and was rewarded by another cry, along with a release from the invisible hold. Pulling herself into a crouch, Laura turned towards Jean and leapt towards her, blades extended. Jean, still blinded by the pebbles lodged in her eyes, was nonetheless able to put up a telekinetic shield to deflect the adamantium.

_Resisting! Adjust ...._

Her thoughts becoming increasingly jumbled, Laura abandoned her calculated approach and began slashing indiscriminately, each strike bouncing off the unseen shield. Finally, Laura drove both hands towards Jean's midsection and continued to push.

_That girl is done!!! _Jean returned Laura's glare as she pushed back against Laura's attack. She was done trying to help this little psychopath, done with this lost cause, done letting her stay around with the adamantium knives at her friends' throats ...

Then she felt the strike at the side of her head.

Laura spun back into fighting stance as Jean crumpled; her spinning heel had, as expected, slipped around Jean's telekinetic shield, allowing her to catch the telepath off-guard. Without wasting a moment, Laura seized the back of Jean's head, pushing her face into the ground, and brought her arm up for a killing strike.

_Objective: ...._

With the high-pitched scream few lived long-enough to describe, Laura brought the arm down.

* * *

_X MEN!!! _Everyone froze as Xavier's thoughts entered their minds. _Look at yourselves_ he sent, in a harsh tone. _Look at who you're fighting! Consider about what you're trying to destroy; and for what?!_ Glowering at his students on both the physical and astral reality, Xavier went on. _Think about what you are doing, what will follow, and where will it end?! _His tone softened somewhat. _I can feel what you're going through. I know the urge to eliminate injustice, to see enemies everywhere, and want them gone. I also know where it leads._ Sweating visibly from the strain of maintaining the forced link, Xavier brought up every happy memory he could find, every shared experience, every unifying hope. _Your 'opponents' here are part of your lives, people you often depend on. Do you really want them badly harmed?! _Sam and Roberto's glows dimmed slightly, and Evan's glare lowered. _We all have our differences, yes. We may have reasons to be angry. _Logan's claws lowered somewhat, and the rain seemed to slow._ What drives you now may seem irresistible, but you've all fought this before. _Hank relaxed slightly. _You all have the strength to make this choice. Make it the right ... _"Ugghh!!" Xavier grunted out loud as something struck him in the back of the head.

"We've heard enough from you, Xavier," Scott growled, one hand on the back of his neck, the other raising toward his glasses.

"Scott ..." Xavier gasped. "No ...!"

"You're done telling us what to think." Without another word, Scott lifted his glasses.

* * *

"I ... took you down ... before!" Amara grunted, straining to call forth a flame, an eruption, _anything._

"And here we are again, _Princess_," Selene sneered. "Only now there's nothing you can do, is there?" She laughed as Amara glowed briefly before dimming again. "You can't save them now, and they're far beyond saving themselves."

* * *

Jean crumpled beneath Laura's arm without a word, a bruise already forming.

_Bruise?!_ A bewildered Laura examined a clearly uncut Jean, then examined the her own arms. _It should have been a killing blow._

Then she remembered the moment: the flash of the unfamiliar feeling, the slight turn of the wrist.

That made no sense. Jean was a clear threat: elimination was the only option. That had never been a problem for Laura before.

But she _was_, at least, neutralized. Maybe that was enough ... Her musings were cut short as she felt herself shoved into another wall. Overwhelmed by renewed fury, she barely noticed a glowing Jean rise to her feet and off the floor.

* * *

The optic blast had barely escaped Scott's eyes when sulphuric smoke surrounded him, and several small figures slammed into him from all sides.

"Hey ...!" Scott grunted as he finally noticed his attacker. "Why am I not surprised, _Jamie?!_" he yelled, unleashing his full blast and sending his attackers up into the air.

Immediately, like a powder keg receiving its first spark, the X men in front of Xavier returned to their brawls. Logan, thinking of nothing but the nearest potential target, tackled Hank, who fought back with equal abandon. Sam's glow returned and he took to the sky, streaking towards Ororo as the winds picked up again. Evan and Roberto, eager to join in, charged towards Xavier, fists and spikes extended.

But they were not the only X men around.

"I should have known!" Scott raged as he aimed towards a weakened Jamie. "You got off easy, you psycho ..."

Suddenly, a pale hand reached around his neck and grabbed his face. "Yer one t'talk!" Rogue grunted as Scott's energy, along with his powers and memories, flowed into her.

Roberto quickened his stride. His entire soccer team back home could never keep him; no way he would let that change today. At least, that was his thought until something exploded under his feet.

"Men!" Tabitha yelled as the Puerto Rican flew into the air. "We leave you alone for one day ...!" She suddenly yelped as several glowing spikes landed near her. Glowering, Evan drew several more spikes for another volley when a card landed near him.

"Now, now, _piquant_," Remy said calmly as the card exploded, propelling the mutant back a meter. "Ain't no way to treat de _femmes_," he added, casually spinning his quarterstaff.

After shoving himself to his feet, Evan glared at the Cajun. "You'll do _just fine_," he whispered, pulling a long spike from his back. With a guttural yell, he leapt towards Remy, bringing the spike down towards his head.

As the newly arrived X men faced off with their bloodthirsty teammates, Kitty ran towards Xavier. "Professor, are you all right?!" she demanded, crouching next to him.

"I'm all right, Kitty," Xavier replied, pulling himself up. "But we're running out of time. I need you to go, find the girls and whoever is with them. I will guide Rogue to you."

"Got it!" Kitty was already running towards the collapsed cave.

* * *

"DON'T. SAY. I. DIDN'T. _WARN YOU!!!!_" Jean snapped as she floated towards the pinned Laura. With barely a gesture, Jean sent the smaller girl spinning towards the opposite wall, which she slammed into hard enough to crack.

Despite the pain coursing through her body, drawing blood from the threat was all that ran through Laura's mind. This time, she didn't stop to plan; she simply thrashed in place, snarling loudly and straining against the invisible force.

"This is what you are, isn't it?" Jean sneered, tightening her grip. Laura just snarled incoherently in response. "What you'll always be, no matter _what we try!_"

Laura fixed her eyes on Jean and shrieked, as though her voice had become her last-ditch weapon.

"Have it your way!" Jean was unmoved. "_JUST STAY AWAY FROM MY FAMILY!!!_"

And she gave her powers another mighty push, driving Laura _through_ the wall. And the next one. And the ones that followed.

* * *

Rogue dove to the side as Sam crashed into the spot she'd been standing upon. "Will you quit it?!" she yelled as he rebounded off the ground and into several several trees before reorienting himself. "Yer flyin' stinks, anyway!" she added.

As she expected, he immediately hurtled down towards her. "Ah'll show you mah flyin'!" he roared. This time, she stood her ground. As he neared her, her eyes glowed red before a beam struck Sam under the chin, spinning him about in midair and sending him veering off course.

Remy grunted as Evan's spike slammed into his quarterstaff. _Homme hits hard_, he thought as he ducked another swing from the opposite direction before dropping to the ground and swinging his booted feet towards Evan's calves.

He couldn't have picked a worse time, as fresh spikes popped out from Evan's legs. Stopping his sweep kick short, Remy was nevertheless unable to halt his motion in time. Remy grimaced as the spikes jabbed through his boot, piercing the skin almost to the bone.

"Oh, _come on!_" Tabitha yell as Roberto leapt into the air and dive menacingly toward her. As he neared, she tried to dodge to her left, only to be clipped in the shoulder by his foot. _Maybe I should've stayed in bed._

Evan smirked and jerked his own foot free. "I win _this_ one," he stated, raising his staff with the sharp end pointed down just before the card exploded in his face.

As the armoured mutant fell back, Tabitha readied herself for Roberto's return approach. _How many bombs ...? _she wondered, at which point a bright red beam slammed into the glowing mutant. "Y'okay, Tabitha?" Rogue demanded as she appeared next to the blonde, a tired-looking Xavier on her shoulder.

"Yeah." Tabitha scowled, rubbing her sore shoulder. "But next time I want a _real_ day off."

"Sounds good to me," Remy grunted as he limped towards the group. "What say we ...?" Whatever he was about to suggest was cut of as a familiar growl reached them.

"HRRRAARRRRR!!!!" Everyone started as Logan burst out of the woods, his body and claws stained with blood. Before he reached them, however, he was stopped by a lightning bolt hitting him squarely in the chest.

"Ororo, no!" Xavier called. Ignoring her mentor, Ororo hissed with anticipation as she soared towards the downed Logan, lightning gathering at her hands. She would unleash nature's fury upon him until there was nothing left to heal; finally keep him and his savage ways from her nephew, from the kids she swore to protect. The lightning in her hands glowed, and she struck.

* * *

Selene looked up as distant crashes reached her. "I wonder who ...?"

The cavern wall exploded, and Laura hurtled inside like a bullet, crashing into the cauldron and spilling its contents across the floor.

"_No!!!_" Selene stared, aghast for the first time that day, as the dark liquid spread across the rocky ground, seeping into cracks and quickly disappearing from sight. "You little ...!" Laura's shriek cut in, and the rest of her followed as she jumped towards Selene, slashing wildly. Her claws soon found their mark, and Selene hissed as the adamantium blades cut across her stomach, drawing two red lines. Now shrieking herself, Selene's eyes turned solid black and she reached out with one hand.

The effect was immediate.

Amara grunted as she felt's Selene's drain leave her._ Now or never_ she thought as she pushed herself to her feet. She may be weak, but she was also very close to where she drew her strength.

"Can you feel it, child?" Selene hissed, as Laura continued to writhe. "Can you feel your nerves burn, your flesh curdle? Can you feel ...?" Laura suddenly pounced, cutting Selene off as she tackled her.

Amara gripped the floor and felt the heat flow through her.

Selene grunted as she tried to fight off the now-berserk girl._ On another occasion, I'd be pleased_ she thought as she seized both of Laura's wrists. Suddenly, the girl flew from her grip and crashed into the opposite wall. Rolling over onto her stomach, Selene froze as she sensed the powerful presence approaching. _Soteira protect me._

"Selene ..." Jean hissed as she soared into the chamber. In the next instant, Selene felt herself propelled into the far wall.

"Jean!" Amara yelled, rising to her feet. "We have to ... oof!" she grunted as Jean's telekinetic shove slammed into her.

"Stay out of this, Amara!" Jean glared at the downed Selene and Laura. Malicious ideas burned within her: she would take them apart atom by atom if she had to, scatter them as far as her power allowed, get them out of her life, her friends lives ... Suddenly, a column of flame slammed into her.

"Dont. Tell. Me. What. To. _DO!!!_" Amara felt the same irresistible fire now: she was above this pompous redhead, above all these killers around her. She ruled the grounds beneath her feet, and the powers it carried: she would not be pushed around .... It was only a second before those thoughts took form.

Jean hissed in surprise as the ground exploded beneath her. Enveloping herself in her telekinetic shield, she rolled as she saw more eruptions around her. Suddenly, another flame drove into her.

"You should have walked away!" Amara yelled as the flame surrounded Jean.

Jean looked around desperately, and saw only fire.

Behind Amara, Selene was laughing gleefully.

* * *

Ororo was not a killer by nature, but when it came to protecting the children under her care, there was little she would not do. Even after all the trust Xavier placed in him, Logan had murdered one of them, and made her own nephew an accomplice. It was past time to get him out of her kids' lives.

Unfortunately, one of them was stepping in the way.

"NO!" she cried, trying desperately to recall the lightning, but it was too late. The glowing energy slammed into a determined-looking Jamie Madrox, who immediately faded from existence. _What have I done?! _

The thunder ceased to roll, the wind slowed, leaving only the falling rain as Ororo drifted back towards the ground, her eyes on the empty ground in front of Logan. She cast her eyes towards the other downed students, to those still standing, staring back at her with shock in their eyes. Righteous anger had given way to shock, thoughts of retribution were overwhelmed by guilt; in less than a minute, Ororo's natural wrath had drained from her, leaving only grief. Only empty ground.

Suddenly, that ground began to shake.

* * *

The cave was full of fire.

It burst from a growing number of spots on the ground. It snaked through the air, narrowly missing Laura, who scrabbled up the nearest wall to avoid it. In surrounded Jean, forming a large glowing globe around her, lighting up the cave.

"Yes ..." Selene hissed, creeping up behind Amara. "Can you feel the power, child?" She stepped closer as Amara continued her assault on Jean and Laura. "Do you see what I tried to teach your people?" She stopped directly behind Amara, still revelling in the display. "Do you understand what we all truly are."

"Yes ... " Amara breathed, still glowering at Jean and Laura.

"Good; now finish them, and we begin start _your _schooling."

Amara's glare did not waver. "What if I'd rather skip straight to finals?"

And then she turned around and fired at Selene.

Selene's leer was gone in a second, replaced by agony. In another second, even that expression was gone, replaced by fire.

Her scream hit the three girls like adamantium running through their skulls. As Selene writhed about and shrieked in agony, Amara's eruptions ceased, Jean's bubble fell away, dropping her to the floor, and Laura lost her grip on the ceiling.

Amara gasped as she realized what urges had fled her. The burning need to annihilate, to immolate ... it had been irresistible then. And now it had been satisfied.

Now she had more immediate needs. The fires continued to burn around her; several of Selene's supplies must have been flammable. Though Amara could easily withstand it, Jean and Laura ...

"Amara!" Her face snapped towards the cave entrance where Kitty Pryde crouched. "Who is that?!"

"It's Selene!" Amara shouted back. "We have to get them out of here!"

"On it!" Kitty closed her eyes, and several seconds later Rogue appeared next to her.

The southerner's eyes widened as she looked around the burning cave. "What happened here?!"

"Never mind that!" Kitty shouted as she wrapped her arms around Jean. Quick as a cat, Rogue hopped over a fire and grabbed the unconscious Laura. "Come on, Amara!" She watched as the glowing girl begin to run towards them, passing through the fires as though part of them.

Suddenly, one of them seemed to reach out and grab her.

"AMARA!!!" Kitty screamed as the long, slender, burning arms wrapped around Amara's neck and pulled her back into the middle of the cavern.

Amara gagged as her friends disappeared from view and the burning form tightened its grip. "Bitch child," it snarled hoarsely. "I've bathe in the eternal fires; I've been burned since a thousand times in over a thousand years." Its head moved closer to Amara as the younger girl gritted her teeth. "_Did you think I'd be purged so easily?!!_" Suddenly the ground exploded beneath them.

As they both landed hard on the ground, Amara rolled out of Selene's grasp. "I ... told you to stay away ..." she rasped.

"Amara!!" she heard Kitty yell through the flames, followed by a coughing fit.

"Kitty! Rogue!" Amara yelled. "Get out of here! Get away from the mountain!"

"We're not leaving you!!!"

"Don't argue with me, just ...!!!"

"_DIE!!!_" Selene's immolated form crashed into Amara, driving her back to the floor. Amara closed her eyes as her desperate plan ran through her mind.

"_AMARA!!!_" Kitty screamed as their friend fell back into the flames. "We have to help her!"

"Sounds ... great ..." Rogue grunted as she hoisted Laura's still form. "And how?" Kitty did not answer.

Someone else did. _Rogue, Kitty, get Jean and Laura out of there immediately! _Xavier ordered.

_Professor, we can't...!_

_Do it now, Kitty! Amara will be fine, but we must get everyone away from the mountain! _In the next second, Xavier relayed to them the plan Amara had sent him.

"Here we are again, brat!" Selene rasped as she pinned Amara to the ground. "Tell me, was I really that despicable?!" she asked as she wrapped her hands around Amara's fiery throat. "I only ever wanted to share my way of life with your people; I never showed them anything that wasn't already within them, I never had them do anything they weren't already wanting!" She squeezed harder. "Or was I simply competition you didn't want?"

"You would have killed us." And Amara reached out and seized Selene's throat.

* * *

"Ororo!"

Ororo jerked her head up as Xavier's hard voice reached her.

"Ororo, we need your help," Xavier insisted as Rogue appeared next to him, an unconscious Bobby in her arms. "We have to get away from here, immediately."

Ororo looked around. Everyone who could stand was fleeing into the woods, most of them with an unconscious X man over their shoulder. Including – her heart leapt as she noticed – a crowd of Jamies, most of whom had teamed up on the heavier ones such as Logan.

"Jamie's fine, but we have to _go_," Xavier repeated, grabbing Ororo's arm. With only a nod, she grabbed her mentor's shoulders and lifted up into the air, following the other X men as the mountain trembled behind them.

* * *

Amara glared at what was left of Selene's face as the tremors intensified. "Go ... to ... hell ..." she growled hoarsely. "And ... _stay there this time!!!_"

* * *

Ororo and Xavier had just reached the woods when the mountain erupted behind them.

In truth, it wasn't the whole mountain, but a relatively small area of it, centered near the cave they had just fled; the mountain itself was still standing. To the X men hiding in the woods, it was though Hell had come to Earth.

Glowing, molten rock was bursting through the ground as far as they could see. Seconds later it was hurtling down towards them, only to veer off course in midair as a large tornado formed near the mountain. What did not get fall directly within the tornado slammed into the ground between the forest and the mountain, detonating and sending up clouds of ash upon impact.

To the X men, it was the darkness following the inferno. A trembling Ororo collapsed, finally feeling the drain from her earlier attack followed with the effort of maintaining the large tornado. As the wind slowed, so the darkened fallout spread, permeating the air around the woods, blocking the sun from view, and covering everyone in dark grey ash.

For a long time, nothing moved in that part of the forest.

**[**

**Several Hours Later**

"Dude, we there yet?" Alex asked, rocking impatiently in his seat behind Warren.

"I say again: we're approaching the coordinates the Professor sent us," Warren replied, equally impatient, as he guided the Velocity towards the large mountain.

"You mean right before he hung up on us?" Jubilee added.

"Mm-hmm."

"I worry about them," Piotr murmured, peering out his viewport.

Warren was about to answer when the comm system crackled. "Velocity, we see you," Scott stated, his flat, guarded tone apparent even through the distortion.

Warren grabbed the mouthpiece. "That makes one of us; where can we land?"

"Just circle the mountain until you see the new crater and land near there. Cyclops out." Scott's voice immediately cut out without another word.

"Crater?"

"That guy needs to learn how to _vacation_," Jubilee grumbled.

"Uhhh ...." Piotr's eyes grew wide as he noticed their landing area. "Is this American vacation?"

No one answered once they noticed the scene before them.

At first glance, it would have seemed that winter had visited the mountain during the wrong time of year, as a sheet of grayish-white flakes had spread across the clearing, a large part of the mountain, and the top of the nearby forest. More terrifying, however, was the gaping hole at the base of the mountain, a pit at least as large as the velocity.

"Thought we didn't have volcanoes here," Alex whispered, his eyes still on the sheets he recognized as volcanic ash.

"We don't ..." Warren stared at the hole for several seconds before Xavier's voice entered his mind. _Warren, please land where you are; you're all needed down here._

_Yes sir_, Warren replied before adjusting the controls and lowering the Velocity.

After a slow, yet rocky, landing (Warren still preferred wings to knobs and levers), the four of them headed for the open ramp and the solemn-looking X man waiting there.

"Scott!" Alex wasted no time dashing down the ramp and wrapping his arms around his brother. After hesitating a moment, Scott returned the embrace. Pulling back, Alex studied Scott, who looked as though he'd just been through war. "Bro, what happened? You looked better during midterms!"

Scott shook his head slightly, his face cast downward and sighed. "Someone messed with our heads, and it got ugly," he reported quietly.

"Anyone hurt?" Warren asked.

"No serious injuries, except ..." Scott's face tightened. "Rahne's still missing, and Amara ..." he trailed off as he looked toward the pit.

"Where do you need us?" Piotr asked as he shifted to metal form.

Inside a minute, Scott had Warren flying off to link up with Logan, Laura, Hank and Roberto in their search for Rahne; Alex and Piotr to join Jean, Jamie, and Evan down in the pit to remove the stones, and Jubilee to assist Bobby, Remy, and Tabitha in destroying the larger rocks.

As they approached, Scott noticed one of those rocks rising slowly out of the pit, quivering as it floated towards Tabitha. Scott sighed, then keyed his badge. "Kurt?"

"Jean, it's time to take a break," Scott insisted once Kurt had ported, Alex, Piotr, and himself into the bottom of the pit.

"I'm fine," Jean replied flatly turning her attention to another large stone. Scott frowned: Jean had barely looked at anyone, even Scott himself, since waking up after her encounter with Selene; even their psychic link was closed off.

"Jean, I have Alex and Peter here,"

"Great; then they can help us ..."

"Jean ..."

"Scott, we can't _wait!_" Jean snapped, finally glaring at Scott. "Amara needs our help!"

"She needs us all at full strength," Scott replied. Glancing across the pit, he added, "That goes for all of you."

Evan didn't look up as he swung his glowing arm spikes into a boulder, chipping several shards loose. "I can hold out."

A sweating Jamie looked over at Scott as he passed a smaller stone up to his nearest clone, all of whom had formed a line up a makeshift staircase Scott had carved. "I'm ... okay ..." he panted.

"No you're not; and I'm not asking." Scott glared at the two boys. "Get some rest, or get in the Velocity; your choice."

"Scott ..." Jean warned quietly.

After looking at Jean for a second, Scott sighed and approached Jamie, Kurt following behind. "Look, I'm sorry; I just want you to get all your energy back." He put a hand on Jamie's shoulder, and addressed both boys. "You've gotten us this far."

"Come on; drinks are in zhe X jet," Kurt added hopping toward Evan and putting a hand on his shoulder. Several ports later, all three boys were gone.

Scott looked back at Jean. "That means you too, Jean. Come on."

Jean sighed, looked at the rubble under her feet, then back at Scott. "Okay," she murmured. As she took Scott's hand, they both began to rise out of the pit while Peter and Alex set to work.

* * *

"Rahne!" Roberto yelled as he stalked through the forest.

"Save your voice," Hank instructed as he joined Roberto.

"You got a better idea, McCoy?" Roberto demanded, his body still emitting its fiery glow. "We got four lousy people to cover the forest, and ..."

Hank cleared his throat loudly, cutting Roberto off. "Correction: we have two experienced trackers with enhanced senses, one natural scientist with knowledge of the area, and one well-known overachiever always giving us a job outdone." Fiddling casually with a plant he'd picked up, he added. "And, of course, another teammate buried under rubble in at least as desperate need of help."

Roberto huffed. "You know, your Beast mode made more sense, Mr. McCoy," he replied before turning around. "RAHNE!!!"

"Be careful what you wish for," Hank muttered darkly.

"Hank? Puerto?" Logan grunted over the comm.

"Logan?" Hank seized his own comm. "Have you found her?"

"Where is she?" Roberto demanded.

"In a bad way." Logan lowered his communicator as he regarded the young redhead, who sat against a tree, her arms around her knees, and blood on her face and hands.

* * *

"Come on, Tin-Grin! Let's go!" Tabitha yelled down at Piotr, who was pausing to examine the pile of rubble.

The Russian's response was immediate. In the next second, Tabitha found herself yelping and diving to the ground as he hurled a particularly large boulder up toward her. She looked upward in time to see the boulder begin to drop. She tried to scramble out of the way ...

And the boulder exploded in midair.

"Ow!" she snapped as the remains fell to earth, showering her with pebbles.

"Y'welcome," Remy stated, casually shuffling his deck. Tabitha scowled at him, and closed her fist around a small bomb forming.

"So did you really, _finally_, throw down with our fearless leader?" Jubilee asked as she fired another burst at the rock in front of her. Hearing no answer, she looked up with concern. "Bobby?"

"Huh?" Bobby's head jerked up as though hearing her for the first time. "Oh, yeah." He returned his attention to his own rock.

Jubilee blinked. "Did you win?"

Bobby glanced towards the Velocity, out of which Sam and Rogue were hauling bottles of water. "No."

Jubilee frowned, then gestured towards Bobby.

"Hey!" Bobby yell as one of Jubilee's fireworks burst in front of his face. As he quickly moved away, his foot ran into a large rock and he stumbled before falling onto his backside.

"So you _are _awake!" Jubilee giggled, then noticed Bobby glowering at her as he sat up. Immediately, the humour fled her face and she stepped toward him. "Hey, Bobby, are you okayAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!" she screamed as she stepped on Bobby's ice patch. Hearing his quiet snickers, she sat up and glared back at him. "Bobby, you ...!"

"Heads up!" they heard Tabitha yell. Seeing the boulder dropping towards them, they immediately scrambled away. Aiming not too carefully, Tabitha hurled her bomb towards the falling rock, only to see the bomb fly above the rock and continue sailing towards the forest.

Laura was just leaving the forest to join the rescue effort when the bomb landed nearby. In the next instant, she was hiding behind the nearest tree, claws extended and senses heightened. _Threat in area. Tracking ..._

"Fight's over, kid, or haven't you heard?" Logan as he leaned against.

Laura snarled and aimed her claws towards him. _Maintain alert. Degree of danger ..._

"Ya know," Logan grunted as he straightened up and approached Laura, "Something's on yer mind, ya could just say it out loud and get it over with."

"I _don't know_," Laura snapped. Her claws did not lower.

"Why are ya still at full alert?" Logan took another step toward her. "What're ya afraid of?"

Laura stepped back and began to circle Logan. "_She_ is out there."

Logan snarled under his breath; it didn't take much thought to figure out who Laura was referring to. "I saw the number she did on ya, kid. But the witch's brew burnt out; she won't be doing it again."

"They are _all_ out there!"

"Then why are ya suddenly afraid of 'em?"

"_I am not afraid!_" Laura leapt toward Logan and aimed her claws at his chest.

Without blinking, Logan folded his arms behind his back. "It ain't us you're scared of, is it?"

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Laura turned away, crossed her arms, and began to stalk away.

"Losin' yer edge. Losin' control." Laura paused. "That's scared the life outta me as far back as I can remember. Figured a guy like me best stay away from normal folk."

"I do not understand."

"I was wrong." Logan stepped up behind Laura and placed a hand on each small shoulder. "I found these people, and gave them a real shot." He shook his head. "Wasn't no vacation spot, but I learned to hang around others. I figured out how to keep ... _all _of it under control." He circled around and knelt before Laura. "I got lucky, kid, and so did you." Laura looked away, but Logan had already spotted the moisture forming in her eyes. Gently, he took her wrist and raised her hand, with the claw still extended, to her head level. "Now: you gonna put these away, for a day or two?"

Laura stared at the claws for several long seconds; claws she had trained to use since she could walk, claws she had sunk into so many ....

The claws disappeared before she consciously realized she was willing it.

She hung her head. "I want to go home."

Logan pulled her into a tight hug. "Sounds good to me."

This one time, neither noticed Ororo watching the scene from the edge of the forest. Without a word she silently turned and walked back toward the group, her mind on how quickly she had condemned the darkness in the man holding the child, while ignoring the darkness in her own soul.

"Okay, I've had my rest now," Jean insisted, standing up from where she had been sitting next to Scott. "Can we get back to it, now?"

Scott looked up at her, somewhat surprised. "We've been here for all of a minute."

"That's plenty! I won't even break a sweat!"

"But you did," Scott replied, standing up and taking both of her hands. "And your last lift barely made it out of the hole."

"I lost my focus! I'll do better this time!"

"That may be easier, Jean, if you were not blocking off your own power," Xavier observed as he rolled towards them.

Jean shook her head. "Professor, I wasn't ..."

"Jean, I've been training you for years; I can tell when you're holding back." Xavier came to a stop near Jean and Scott and folded his hands across his lap.

Jean looked desperately at Scott for support, and received another inquisitive stare in return. Pulling free of Scott's hands, she wrung her own together and backed away from the two men. "You didn't see me down there." She took a slow breath. "You don't know how ... _easy _it all became." Memories of the fiery form amidst the dark, of a battered Laura, of being overwhelmed by anger, hate, and malice, flooded from Jean into Scott and Xavier.

"You were under the influence of Selene's magic," Xavier insisted, trying to ignore thoughts of a certain vision he'd had of Jean. "You can hardly blame yourself for what she triggered ..."

"How come it didn't affect you, Professor?" Jean suddenly demanded, whirling to face Xavier.

"It did ..."

"It didn't look like it," Scott spoke up. "From what I remember, you were the only one keeping your head out there."

"Yes, well ..." Xavier sighed and looked toward the cave, sadness tugging at his face. "I, myself, have walked down some dark paths in my lifetime. Now I fear, more than anything else, my power being used at the whim of that darkness." He looked back at Jean. "So I taught myself to be especially vigilant in keeping my darkest desires separate from my powers. And I believe you can do the same."

Jean did not look convinced. "What if I can't, Professor?" she asked quietly, crossing her arms. "What if I'm as dark as she thinks? What if ... it comes back?"

"It won't." Xavier leaned back in his wheelchair, his expression grave. "Because it never truly left." Sensing shock from Scott and panic from Jean, he quickly went on. "Who we are, who we become, that is never set in stone. We wouldn't be human if we carried no dark depths within our selves, and, like it or not, those depths need release at some point, in some form."

"Are you saying Selene was right?" Jean whispered.

"I'm saying she oversimplified a conundruum that has gripped our species since we first conceived of right and wrong." Xavier smiled slightly. "You know, Plato, in one of his discussions of morality, described the sun, the brightest sight in our sky, as the child of pure goodness. Descartes, on the other hand, was thought to have enclosed himself inside a small dark place in order to reflect on existence without the distraction of the senses."

"What's your point, Professor?" Scott asked.

"Light and dark are like night and day; cold and hot; up and down; action and reaction. You have the darkness, which conceals and denies, yet allows for the most ... unique inward-reflections. Such as sleep, for many of us. And there is the light, which illuminates and gives life, yet can be distracting, and even blinding, for most of us, unless taken in moderation. Both are natural parts of our world; one cannot exist, cannot define itself without the warnings of the other." He let his gaze wander over the other X men, still either recovering from the ordeal or hard at work on their current task. "It falls to us to decide whether one will predominate humanity's future." Jean and Scott remained silent as Xavier's words, and the weight they carried, hit home.

"_JEAN!!_"

Her head snapped up as Rogue's shout reached her. Immediately, she rose off the ground and flew towards the pit, followed by every X man that could walk. "What is it?!" she demanded, before spotting the scene in the depths of the feet.

Piotr and Alex were scrabbling at the walls, attempting to climb away from the rubble which now glowing red-hot. _Kurt! s_he thought quickly, then spotted her blue-furred friend appearing next to both boys before grabbing and porting them up next to her. Already, she could see Xavier and Scott closing in on the crowd, while Laura, Logan, and Hank approached in a run from the forest.

"Charles, what is happening?" Ororo asked as the rubble's glow brightened.

Surprisingly, the older man was the picture of calm. "You all know Amara's unique abilities in relation to volcanic activity." He leaned forward in his wheelchair, peering at the glowing rubble. "If my guess is right, this is our friend's wake up call."

Suddenly the rocks burst, clearing the bottom of the pit and showering the X men with small rocks. And, lying in the middle of the pit ....

"Ahem," Scott's face reddened and he turned away, followed by most of the boys. "Could one of you .... cover her up, please?" Quickly, Jean summoned a blanket from the nearby velocity and drifted down towards a prone, naked Amara.

It was mere minutes before she awoke to the concerned faces of her friends, all gathered around where she lay in the Velocity's shadow. "Hey ..."

Tabitha, unable to restrain herself, grabbed her friend in a tight hug. "Girl, that is it. You are _not_ having another date with a mountain without me to chaperone. I mean, look at you!" she declared, waving towards Amara's blanket-wrapped form.

"Go easy on her, Tabitha," Scott ordered, gently pulling the blonde away.

"Uhhh ..." Amara looked around at her friends faces, all worn and ragged despite the cheer that lit up their faces. "Someone want to tell me what happened here?"

The cheerful faces disappeared. "Amara?" Jean asked.

"What do you remember?" Xavier asked.

Amara frowned and glanced downward. "Jean, Laura, and I were going into a cave, the floor collapsed ..." she shuddered.

Everyone glanced at one another. "You don't remember, Amara?" Jean asked carefully.

"Remember what?"

"Selene? Running off?" Jean swallowed slightly. "Us ... fighting?"

Amara's face fell. "No ..." she whispered.

Scott sighed and looked around at his fellow X men and the newly formed pit. "Makes you the lucky one." Everyone fell silent as their memories of their fight among themselves set in, while Amara struggled with her own missing memories.

Behind them, the sun was already beginning to set.

**[**

**Authors Notes**

At long last, the newest chapter is ready. I definitely need a new schedule next time.

Anyway, just to clarify: Amara and Selene seem to know each other, and I'll leave it to you to guess how, for now. Too bad she's suddenly forgotten the whole encounter, eh?

Next up: men of God pay Bayville a visit to preach against the 'children of Satan.' Meanwhile, the Beast of Bayville may be back!


	14. Cry Beast

**Previously, On X Men Evolution**

"_It's like there's an animal inside me; a beast, clawing its way out."_

_The large, blue form hurtled towards the two officers, snarling incoherently._

"_I still feel it," Hank insisted. "Inside."_

"_And you probably always will."_

"_Coming?" Jamie grinned at Rahne._

"_Just a second," she growled. "Ye wore me out, this time."_

"_I'm flattered."_

"_Ye've been learnin' too much from Roberto and the older boys."_

"_Bless me Fazher, for I have sinned," Kurt whispered into the small opening he had not seen in ... years, at least. "It has been ... a long time."_

_A furry foot lashed out, catching Shaw in the side of the face as he tried to struggle to his feet. By now, blood seemed to run from Shaw's blackened eyes, mouth, and nose._

_Kurt found himself unable to care._

_The priest sighed. "I'm afraid you and your kind are beyond forgiveness."_

"_You're a devil, Kurt; a bringer of woe! However you lie, however you hide ..."_

"_Goodbye ... Fazher Stryker."_

"_I don't suppose you'll hunt me down and leave me bedridden?" Rahne smiled against Roberto's shoulder._

_Roberto grinned and leaned his face down toward's Rahne. "Well, if you asked nicely ...."_

_Rahne twisted and sank her jaws into Jamie's shoulder._

"_Wh – what are you doing?" Amara whispered._

_Selene looked up from her work and smirked at Amara. "Teaching, in my own way." She now focused her eyes on the ceiling. "Yes .... I call on the dark of night, the cast of shadow, the dark depths of your souls ...." Amara's eyes widened as she heard thunder roll, and saw the sky darken. "Come ..."_

_Hank, his oldest faculty member, one of his closest friends, whipped his snarling head towards Xavier without a hint of recognition; only hunger._

"_Rahne! Where are you?!" Roberto yelled._

"_In a bad way." Logan lowered his communicator as he regarded the young redhead, who sat against a tree, her arms around her knees, and blood on her face and hands._

**[**

"I ask ye, all ye." Reverend Adam Craig's eyes glowed as he looked over the gathered; at the faces aglow from the faith he felt confident was burning within their souls. "What will ye do?"

"I come to ye from a distant nation; from safe havens I have built; from the safety of my righteous neighbours, to see this city that speaks of _peace_, of _tolerance! _The city of Bayville, the people that calls itself the home of the enlightened, of the just!"

"I look around this city, and I do not see enlightenment. I do not see justice. I see a people lost. I see a town _contaminated!_"

* * *

In other parts of Bayville, where the late hour had brought quiet, dark streets, something lurked. It moved through the shadows, alert for the slightest sign of movement. It snarled under its breath, warning any that would come near.

At the moment, it was hunting.

* * *

"I say we rain on his parade," Logan grunted, clenching his fists as he watched the sermon along with Xavier, Ororo, Kurt, and Jean. "Whaddya say, 'Ro?"

"Logan!" Xavier scolded, though he couldn't help but grin at the thought.

Ororo fought her own smile. "Tempting, but no thanks."

"Let's not make his argument for him," Jean added.

"He doesn't need our help," Kurt muttered, his tail twitching repeatedly and almost every muscle on his face tugging downward.

* * *

Across the Atlantic, near Craig's 'distant nation', a young woman watched with a different sort of fire burning within her soul. Anger flared, at the self-righteous hypocrite spreading his word, at the fact that men like him continued to thrive in the world.

But there was also fear. Fear that he was being listened too; fear for what her charges would face at the hands of people like him. One of which was living in the city he was now visiting ....

* * *

"I sincerely wished that I had judged ye harshly. As the Lord searched Jerusalem, I searched every street, every home, every square for those who saw the truth; those who were ready to make a stand! And I found ye!" he smiled slightly, holding his arms out as though embracing the crowd. "But ye neighbours, their leaders, they have lost their way!"

"They have forsaken the Lord, and placed their faith in these ... pretenders! These demonspawn, with their unholy powers, who promise them peace, protection, safety! They claim to assure this town's future!" Craig glared towards the large, barely-visible Victorian mansion in the distance. "_They lie._"

* * *

By now, all traces of mirth had fled the room as the bearded, wild-eyed man focused his eyes on the camera, as though challenging the X men. "Tell me they're not all like this, Elf," Logan growled shaking his head at the scene.

"I don't know anymore." A surprised Jean looked toward Kurt only to see the cloud of sulphur signalling his departure.

"Shoulda sent him to bed with everyone else," Logan muttered.

* * *

Unsatisfied, the creature turned another corner. The streets were dark, devoid of movement. There was nothing to hunt, nothing to challenge.

Suddenly, it noticed the lights in the distance.

* * *

"Ms?" asked the quiet voice in the doorway.

The woman whipped her face towards the voice. "Michelle? Good heavens, what are ye doin' up at this ungodly hour?!" she demanded as she stood up and hurried towards the blue-skinned child.

"Child couldn't sleep," answered the tall, blond Irishman as he appeared in the doorway, placing his hands on the girl's shoulders. "Said she picked up a major ruckus down here." His blue eyes probed hers.

"Is that man scary?" Michelle asked, her eyes on the television now.

* * *

"They lie as they invite themselves minds! Into your hearts! They lie as they dazzle you with their powers, and call themselves Gods! They lie as they promise you peace on Earth! And, by their lies, they have gained power. They rule this town by their own authority! And they claim to rule humanity's destiny, our collective fates, as well!"

"So I ask again!" Craig leaned forward towards the crowd. "What will ye do?"

* * *

A low growl emerged from the creature as the voice reached it. The voice it knew somehow; the voice that triggered thoughts of pain, of fear.

But, at the very moment, it triggered rage.

Crouching, the creature made its way towards the voice.

* * *

"Sean, I need to hop across the ocean for a day or two; can ye handle the kids?"

"Me? I still haven't figured out how ye do it; how could I ...?"

"Raise yer voice if ye have to," the woman snapped, reaching for her travel bag. "This is an emergency!"

* * *

"I don't know about all o' ya," Logan grumbled, "But I need another beer." With one last swig of the can in his hand, he stalked off toward the kitchen.

"And I've had enough religion for one night," Ororo rose gracefully from her seat.

"Is that what they call it now?" Scott muttered.

"All right. Jean?" With a wave of her finger, Jean switched off the television, banishing the voice and face of Reverend Craig from the room. She only wished it was that easy to banish such people from her memories.

* * *

"How will ye make your stand against the agents of Hell posing as angels?! How will we break from their deceit about our futures?! HOW WILL WE CLEANSE THEM FROM OUR LIVES, AND OUR EVERLASTING SOULS?!!!"

A cheer might have started, if not for the inhuman howl that cut through the air.

Immediately, the crowd shifted, everyone swivelling their eyes away from Craig and towards the shadowed streets. It made a part of him angry, in a way; that a beast hiding in shadows could attract more attention than those who preached the Lord's will. Trouble was, it had his attention too.

And now it was leaving the shadows.

Screams rang out from the crowd as it charged, bounding down the street on four slender limbs, still cloaked in shadow. As it approached, the crowd seemed to part, everyone pushing to get out of its path that had just become clear.

For once, Reverend Adam Craig had no words to offer as it launched itself towards him, jaws snapping. They fell together on the small soapbox, the creature digging its claws into the older man's shoulders and arms while it bit at him, Craig grunting unintelligibly as he shoved at the creature's chin and throat. Seeing the priest surviving the creature's grasp, the rest of the onlookers became emboldened and they charged, wielding sticks, torches, and whatever else came to hand. As the first blows struck home, the creature immediately leapt off of Craig and landed before turning to face the crowd, hissing and snarling, before fleeing into the dark streets.

"... their rebellion great, and their backsliding many ...." Everyone turned, astonished, towards Craig, who slowly rose, still bleeding from several wounds. "And here the beast waits in _this _town."

**[**

**Xavier Institute – The Next Morning**

"Right now?" Xavier asked the old friend on the other end of the phone. "No, of course you're always welcome .... no, I mean it; I'm just simply curious if there's any particular .... I see ... well, I'll let her know you're on your way."

He hung up as a very subdued Kitty stuck her head through the closed door. "Professor?"

"Please come in, Kitty; the door's open," he said with a slight smile as the young girl phased the rest of the way through the wood.

Still unsmiling, Kitty walked through the chair in front of Xavier and sat down. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes; as a matter of fact, I have some good news." Xavier folded his hands atop the desk and looked at his student. "An old friend of ours will be arriving this morning; a certain Danielle Moonstar, you may recall?"

"No ..." Kitty was standing now, her mouth wide open and her eyes lighting up for what seemed like the first time in days. "She's coming _here!!!_"

"Indeed." Xavier leaned back in his chair. "She's finally asked me to help guide her in understanding her unique abilities, so she'll be staying here for a few days while we lay the groundwork, so to speak ..."

"Ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmigod ..." Kitty was practically quivering with excitement as she paced around her chair. "When does she get here?!"

"Any minute now. In fact, I was wondering if you felt up to helping her settle in ..." Xavier was caught off guard when she strode through his desk, placed a hand on each temple, and tapped her lips against Xavier's scalp.

"You're the best. Well, gotta run!" she stated as she turned and ran for the door, which happened to open at that very moment, admitting a scowling-as-always Logan, who happened to walk into Kitty's path.

Feeling no impact, Logan looked to see a very embarassed brunette poke her head out from his chest. "Sorry, Mr. Logan! See you!" In the next second, she'd phased the rest of the way through and was running down the hallway behind him.

Logan looked over his shoulder and scowled as Kitty ran through a wall. "What'd _she _have for breakfast?" he growled.

"Some welcome news, it seems," Ororo put as she glided into the room, followed by Scott, Jean, and Hank, who was frowning as he struggled to drag a large comb through his fur.

"Quite." Adopting a more serious expression, Xavier regarded his instructors. "How unfortunate that I must call your attention to less uplifting events."

"You mean last night," Jean said.

"Yes: apparently there are already rumors that his attacker was a mutant."

"Why am I not surprised?" Scott sighed.

"Is there any actual sign of a mutant?" Ororo asked.

"Nothing conclusive." Xavier's eyes wandered towards the file on his desk. "Witnesses describe only a humanoid form. And I've checked Cerebro's logs as well: as far as I can tell, there were no new mutants in Bayville during that time."

"Riding this a little hard, Chuck?" Logan grunted. "Or did we join the force and lose the memo?"

"This _does_ concern us, Logan." Xavier glanced at the newspapers stacked upon his desk. "Consider: we have an attack on a known anti-mutant agitator, and this morning's reports are already suggesting 'mutant involvement.' Whether a mutant _was _involved or not, it won't be long before eyes turn our way. We have to get in front of this as quickly as possible, and that means finding answers."

"All right, all right." Logan shook his head. "I'll sniff around, see what I find."

"Thank you, Logan. That wasn't so hard, was it?"

"You don't wanna know," Logan grumbled as he shuffled out of the office.

After Logan had left and the chuckles died down, Xavier noticed Hank still struggling with the comb stuck in his fur. "Hank, I don't supposed Ms. Tilby's arrived yet?" he asked with a slight smile.

"Hmm?" Hank looked up, then grinned sheepishly as he realized the comb was still caught in his fur. "Oh, yes, she should be here any minute. In fact, I should be waiting by the front gate, so, if you'll excuse me ..." Within seconds, he too was shuffling out through the doorway.

"Very well, I think that covers everything," Xavier said. As the three remaining instructors turned to leave, he added, "Though, if you could stay a moment, Ororo ..."

"What was _that _about?" Scott wondered as Jean closed the door behind them.

"You got me. Hey, Mr. McCoy," she called as they approached a disconcerted Hank, who was still attempting to pry the comb loose. "Here, let me try," she added, focusing her powers. Slowly, but surely, the knotted hairs began to slide off the comb's teeth, freeing it from his fur.

Hank sighed as he reached up and took the comb from midair into his furry hand. "Well, can't blame a guy for trying."

"What _are_ you trying, Mr. McCoy?" Scott asked, fighting a grin. "I've never seen you this worried about your looks."

"I am representing the Institute today, Scott," Hank replied stiffly, smoothing out a wrinkle in the suit he'd squeezed into, then scowling at the blue fur that remained in its place. "I have to look my best, for all our sakes."

"Uh-huh." Giving up the fight, Scott leaned against the wall in front of Hank and gave him an inquisitive look. "It's just for the public."

"Mm-hmm."

"None of it for the lady?"

"Scott ..." Hank shot him a mock offended look. "What do you take me for?" Without waiting for an answer, he leaned towards Scott and whispered "I'm a mutant, not an invalid." Flashing his student a wide grin, he turned and strode towards the foyer.

Scott finally managed to close his mouth. "Sorry I asked ..."

"I can wipe that memory for you," Jean put in as she strolled towards her boyfriend, her arms crossed and a frown on her face. "So tell me: how pretty _is _this reporter?"

Scott gulped. "Well ..." _Smooth._

* * *

"Hey, Rahne!" Roberto brought his fist against the door again. Rahne had been close to impossible to find since they had returned from the particularly vicious battle with Selene, not to mention each other. No one knew for sure what had happened to her out in the forest: Logan had carried her straight to the Blackbird and tucked her in without a word to anyone. Since then, she had become a recluse. It was starting to tick Roberto off.

Which would explain why his fist was starting to glow.

Which, in turn, would explain why his next pound against the door shattered the lock, swinging it wide open, revealing Rahne sitting on her bed, her arms wrapped around her knees and her eyes glaring coldly at Roberto. "What do ye _want_, Roberto?"

Her flat, emotionless tone stopped him cold; for a moment, at least. Crossing his arms, he met her gaze. "See, there's this girl I know, one I'm looking for. Red hair, my height, knows how to have a good ..."

"What _do _ye know about me?" Yet again, Roberto found himself stunned into silence; this was not his day. Hearing no response, Rahne snorted softly and focused her attention towards her window. "I thought so."

"So fill me in." His arms still crossed, he took a step toward her. "What going on?"

"I don't want to talk about it." Rahne's eyes remained fixed on the window.

"And I'm getting kinda tired of waiting outside a locked door." Roberto took another step toward Rahne. "You want to help me out, here?"

"No." Rahne's eyes finally fixed themselves on Roberto, and they were blazing. "And I don't want ye in my room, Roberto. Not now, not ever. Now will ye get out?"

"No." Roberto shook his head sharply.

Rahne's eyes flared, and Roberto instinctively prepared to flare up himself.

"Roberto!" Both teenagers started as the sharp voice entered the room. Standing outside the room, Ororo glanced at the broken door, then beckoned sharply. "Outside. _Now._"

Knowing what happened to those who argued with that voice, Roberto threw one more look at Rahne, then stalked past Ororo and down the hall.

After one more look after Roberto, Ororo focused her concerned gaze on Rahne. "May I come in?"

"Sure; why not?!" Rahne snapped. "Can't hardly keep anyone out, now, can I?"

Ororo took a slow breath, then leaned against the door jamb. "Rahne, I couldn't tell you how to handle what you're going through; even if I had an idea what it was." She looked down at her folded hands as memories of out-of-control winds and a wrecked street flashed through her mind. "I can say this, however: keeping it to ourselves has never ended well. For any of us."

"Is _that_ what ye came t'tell me?!" Rahne demanded, twisting to glare at Ororo.

Ororo's gaze did not waver. "No. As a matter of fact, I have some news. There's someone on their way here to see you."

* * *

While those at the Xavier Institute prepared to receive their guest, someone across town was preparing his own home for a different sort of reception.

Reverend Stryker gazed at the wooden crucifix he had just finished carving. A lasting symbol, of spirit unbroken, of unwavering faith rewarded by eternal resurrection. Though not one to give in to foolish pride often embraced by many of his neighbours, who would defend false images of themselves to the bitter end, Stryker did see the value of conviction, of holding fast to one's belief in the face of all forms of pressure.

_At least the type we can see_. Stryker bowed his head. All those years he'd heard the so-called confessions from that ... demon, only to find they were all built around lies. _That _was the real danger: the devils that he couldn't see, whispering in his year and twisting his mind without his knowledge. How could one fight against such a devious, near-invisible ...?

There came a knock at the door. Starting slightly, Stryker took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, banishing the dangerous doubts from his mind. He had a mission, the holiest of duties to undertake. And now, it was time to meet his allies.

As he opened the door, he smiled slightly. "Reverend Craig, Father Risman, I'm glad you've arrived. Won't you come in?"

* * *

"Danielle!" A grin spread across the Cheyenne girl's face as the brunette sprinted through the door and seized her friend in a tight embrace.

"Kitty!" After several seconds, Danielle pulled back and studied her friend. "God, you look so ... Is that what college does to you?"

"You noticed, too?" Kurt hopped toward the pair. "Hey, Danielle."

"Hi, Kurt ... oh ..." Danielle fell silent as she noticed Remy and Piotr rounding a corner of the mansion. "Who are the new guys?"

"Well, that's Peter with the wheelbarrow, and the skinny one with the buckets is called Gambit,"

"Bad news ..."

"Kurt! Anyway, we also got Scott's little brother Alex moved in; and Evan came back; oh, and it turned out Mr. Logan has a little girl ..."

"Wait." Danielle stopped and stared at Kitty and Kurt. "The Wolverine had a kid? How'd that happen?"

Kitty and Kurt both hesitated. "It's ... hard to explain."

"I was genetically engineered from a sample of his DNA." All three of them spun towards the flat voice and were greeted by the sight of an ever-glaring Laura marching towards them. As she neared the unnerved trio, she stopped in front of a wide-eyed Danielle and, as though part of the march, extended her hand. "Hello. My name is Laura."

It took a second for Danielle to get her voice past the lump that had formed in her throat. "Uh, hi," she replied, taking the clone's hand and shaking it slightly. "I'm Danielle."

"It is ..." Laura frowned at her own hand as Danielle released it, then returned her hands behind her back. "... _good_ to meet you. But I must return to my duties."

No one moved as Laura marched away. "She's a little shy," Kurt whispered into Danielle's ear once Laura was out of sight.

"So, like, what brought you down here, Danielle?" Kitty asked. "I thought your grandfather's classes didn't have summers."

"They don't," Danielle replied, running her fingers through her hair as they continued walking towards the back yard of the mansion. "But he thinks universities today are locking us in closed rooms and 'stunting our spiritual growth.'"

"He was right," Kitty remarked. "About the rooms, anyway."

"So how did you talk him into giving you time off?" Kurt asked.

Danielle looked down at her feet as she walked before replying. "Well ... there was actually something I had to talk about with Professor X."

"What was it?" Seeing Danielle hesitate, Kitty pressed on. "Come on, Danielle, is it important?"

Danielle took a deep, slow breath. "It's a nightmare."

* * *

"Ye've done well for ye'self, Reverend," Craig remarked, glancing around the tidy living room populated only by simple furniture and Stryker's various wood carvings. "I dinnae know the Lord's work brought such ... immediate rewards."

"These are not rewards, Reverend," Stryker replied as he brought the tray of steaming teacups out for the three of them. "I prefer to think of it as a sanctuary."

"For y'flock or for ye?" Craig inquired, tugging at the bandage on his face as he accepted the tea from the taller man.

"Both," Stryker replied sitting the chair opposite both men. "We have a duty to care for our own souls, as well as those we serve. And I've often found that the right environment can make all the difference in guiding one back to righteousness."

"Really?" Craig leaned, back, his slightly narrowed eyes still on Stryker. "And here I thought the path involved sacrifice, not comfort."

"Pain and sacrifice have their purposes," Stryker replied coolly. "But our Lord does not delight in it; we are His family, not his toys. Suffering must be fought against, not embraced as you do."

"Whatever do ye mean?" though still apparently calm, a dangerous look had come over Craig's eyes.

"'He that disturbsth his own house shall inherit the wind'," Stryker quoted. "And that wind carries word far."

"Gentlemen," Risman interrupted. "Are we here to do the Lord's work, or the Enemy's?"

Without hesitation, Stryker focused his attention on Risman. "Of course; my apologies, Reverend," he said without looking at Craig. "I have developed something of a suspicious mind, lately."

"No doubt; after ye let the minion into yer flock," Craig laughed.

"Reverend!" Risman snapped.

"No, he has a point." Stryker looked away. "The Devil, and those who do _his _work are more devious than I'd thought_._" He looked back at both other men. "I will not make such a mistake again."

"I don't doubt that." Risman leaned forward and eyed both men. "But we have more immediate matters than our past indiscretions."

"The beast," Craig growled.

"Yes." Risman leaned back. "There's no doubt in my mind that the beast is no instrument of the Lord's judgment, but a tool of the Enemy."

"I agree." Stryker crossed his arms. "It will not be long before our flock turns to these false gods the X men for protection from this beast."

"As it hides in the shadows, waiting to strike again," Craig whispered.

"Then our duty is clear." Stryker stood up, towering over the two men. "We bring this beast into the light, and show the people who they are turning to."

* * *

"You mean _our _nightmares?" Kurt blinked. "You can sense zhem zhat far off?"

Danielle, now seated on the rim of the Institute's latest water fountain, nodded silently. "The Professor sent me a few thoughts, showed me how to ... kinda tell it when to stop, where to look." She rubbed at the bridge of her nose. "Lately, I've been getting a few nightmares from this place."

"You noticed." The suddenly cold tone in Kitty's voice caught Danielle off guard, and she quickly opened her eyes to see a suddenly morose Kitty and Kurt.

Kurt sighed. "What she means is, ve've had a bit of a ... nightmarish summer so far. A lot's happened." His tail drooped and his head hung. "Ve've lost some friends."

"Oh ..." At a loss for words, Danielle opted for staring toward the mansion. "I'm ... sorry ..."

"What are you really doing here, Danielle?" Kitty demanded, her voice now hard.

Danielle hung her head. "Well, there was one ..."

"Can a girl nae walk around without runnin' into every single body in this stupid mansion?!" Rahne demanded as she strode around the other corner of the mansion and toward the fountain, pursued by Bobby and Jubilee.

"We're _worried _about you, Rahne," Jubilee snapped back. "Is that a crime, now?!"

"I told you, Jubes ..." Bobby muttered under his breath.

"What's _wrong_ with me is everyone worryin' about me, and huntin me, from all sides at all times," Rahne growled, whirling to face Jubilee.

"What's _really_ wrong, Rahne?" Kitty asked

"Already asked ... "

"Shut up, Robert." Rahne swivelled her glare towards Kitty. "And I already told them ..."

"Zhat nozhing's wrong?" Kurt quietly interrupted. "We've all heard _zhat _before."

Rahne gritted her teeth, and for a second Kitty was sure she saw hair beginning to sprout from her face. It was only a second, however, before she calmed down and spoke quietly. "Me ma's flyin' down,"

Silence fell over the group. "Not good news?" Kurt asked softly.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Jubilee asked. "Some of us could _use _some family around. Or is she a major ...?"

"No!" Rahne scowled at Jubilee. "She's the best one I've known; she was good to me."

"Lucky," Bobby muttered. Kurt looked at him curiously: a very un-Bobby like scowl was forming.

"Then why do you look so nervous about her coming?" Kitty asked.

"It's ... I don't know ..."

"I don't, either," Jubilee cut in, her voice cracking slightly. "They're either around or they're not. Personally, I'd rather mine were."

"Don't kid yourself," Bobby countered, and this time there was no mistaking the bitterness in his voice. "We got enough to deal with here without parents poking their noses in ..."

"Like, what's with _you_ now, Bobby?" Kitty asked.

Bobby was about to say something, then seemed to think better of it. "Nothing," he said, his voice turning as frigid as his body as he iced up and soared back toward the Institute.

Kurt sighed. "Sorry, Danielle; I zhink you dropped in on one of our off-days ... Danielle?"

Hearing Kurt's voice rise, Kitty turned sharply towards her friend, who had her hands at her head and her eyes squeezed shut. "No ... stop it..." She suddenly convulsed sharply.

"Danielle!" Kitty seized the shorter girl, who was shaking uncontrollably, and gently laid her down as the others crowded around them. "Danielle, what is it?!"

Danielle grimaced. "... beast ... " she mumbled in between unintellible moans. "... not again ..."

* * *

"I have to say, Mr. McCoy," the slender, dark-skinned woman smiled easily. "I really wasn't expecting you in a _suit_."

"Keeping up appearances, Ms Tilby," Hank replied easily. "After all, a man without standards is a wild beast loosed upon this world."

Trish snickered. "Camus?"

"You win a cigar."

"I don't smoke."

"Will you settle for a drink?"

"Coffee. _Hot._"

"Boring you already, am I?" Hank joked as he pulled the bag of coffee beans down from the kitchen counter.

"Oh, not at all!" Trish shook her head, still smiling. "But I do have a job to do, a deadline to do it within ..." She suddenly covered her mouth – hiding a yawn, Hank assumed – and continued. "And not a lot of sleep to go on. Speaking of which ...?" She glance over her shoulder at her cameraman, who waited expectantly. "We're live in two minutes."

"Of course." Clearing his throat, Hank sat down at the table and folded his hands. "Coffee should be a minute."

"Better keep my interest." Trish sat down opposite Hank and sat in silence, her narrowed eyes focused on the table in front of her. Finally, she asked, "Thank you, Manoli. Mr. McCoy, you've been part of this Institute since its founding, correct?"

"Not quite. The Institute had been running for some time when I joined." Hank smiled wistfully. "Professor Xavier did contact me when I was of the young and foolish generation, but my ears back then were far from open."

"What changed your mind?"

"My mutation became impossible to conceal, and difficult to control. Due to the public backlash, not to mention the resulting arrest warrants, I decided to go into hiding, and that is when I began my teaching career here."

"Hmm," Trilby glanced down at her notepad. "You were never charged for that night?"

Hank shifted uncomfortably. "I'm afraid no one found me until ..."

"The Sentinel disaster?" Trish's eyes seemed to probe Hank.

"Yes. An anti-mutant fanatic with paramilitary ties built it to hunt us down."

"From what I'm told, the Sentinel was housed underground; how did the fight end up in the street?"

"One of our most implacable adversaries, Magneto, lifted us above ground, hoping to frighten humans into triggering a wider conflict." This was not goint the way he'd hoped.

"That was a big day," Trish observed. "How would you describe it?"

Hank paused. "Imagine seeing neighbours, colleagues, friends ... all of them turning away, all due to the smallest revelation; the color of your skin, for example." Seeing Trish blanch, he continued. "It was disheartening, seeing people capable of such ... unthinking hate, especially in our enlightened era."

Trish silently jotted down several notes before speaking again. "Is it possible, Mr. McCoy, that they have something to be afraid of?"

"I take it you mean our powers?" Hank challenged.

"I've found that when people think of mutant powers, their minds turn to mutants like Magneto. Apocalypse. Mutants with the power to level entire cities, or wipe out the planet." She met his gaze squarely. "What I'm trying to ask is whether you think that fear is _completely _unfounded."

Hank leaned back in his chair. "I've heard that question many times, Ms. Tilby, and have given it a great deal of thought. If we were afraid of capabilities, we wouldn't have potential explosives providing our cities power. We wouldn't have large metal aircraft circling overhead, knowing what they can do to buildings. We would not allow men with guns to patrol our streets, simply because they wear a uniform. People are more than capable of trusting potentially dangerous tools and dangerous individuals because they benefit us in so many ways. Now, mutants are here, with powers capable of _fixing_ cities, solving problems, and saving lives. Why should we not be trusted?"

"Maybe they simply don't know you," Trish suggested, the notepad lying ignored in front of her and her eyes fixed on Hank's.

"That's what this Institute is for; to change that."

"And to help mutants control their powers?"

"Of course; mutant powers may frighten others, but can be every bit as fearful to those born with them."

"And your power?"

The question stopped him cold. "What about it?" he growled.

"Did you ever find it hard to control?" Trish seemed unfazed.

Hank took a slow breath. "If you mean my rampage through Bayville four years ago, that started precisely because I was trying to suppress my powers, so I could be _normal_." He looked away, his mind on the violence that had flowed from his own hands all those years ago, on the monster that had he had unwittingly unleashed. "I've regretted it all these years."

"What about recently?"

"What?!" Hank found his face glaring at Trish before he could recall willing it to move.

Trish raised her chin. "I assume you recall last night, Mr. McCoy."

"Remind me."

"Reverend Craig's sermon. Did you attend?"

"Absolutely not. I have no respect for those who prey on fear," Hank replied coldly.

"Where _were _you, then?"

"Excuse me?" He noticed the cameraman approaching slowly, the camera aimed at his face.

"Where were you during the sermon?"

Hank hesitated before answering. "I was asleep," he replied, furrowing his brow.

"Have you been told about the attack?" Trish pressed on. "The large, humanoid creature attacking Reverend Craig?"

Hank suddenly realized his claws were sinking into the table. _No. Control yourself! _he commanded. Removing his claw from the table, he stood up and quietly told Trish, "You're coffee's gone cold."

* * *

"Oh, hey Mr. McCoy," Scott said, looking away from the news as Hank strode into the rec room. Without even looking at her, he marched over to the empty sofa, placed both furry hands on his suit, and tore it off. "Bad interview?" he asked.

"Word, what's in a word; when twisted any other way, does smell sweet if one wishes," Hank angrily recited as he threw the torn jacket into a corner. "I sometimes wonder if it's remotely possible to have a reasoned discussion with _anyone _today."

"What did she ... hold on." Quickly, Scott aimed his remote at the television and dialled the volume up.

"_**Senator Kelly! Any comment on the attack in Bayville?"**_

"_**You know very well I'm not permitted to discuss ongoing investigations," **_Kelly replied brusquely as he made his way up the steps toward the White House. **_"I will say this, however: we do know of at least one beast residing in that very same town."_**

"Oh no ..." Scott murmured. He sneaked a look at Hank, who had turned towards the television.

"_**One beast that has already proven its capabilities, and its appetite for destruction. One that, to this day, has not been called to answer for his actions."**_

* * *

"This is hardly an unexpected move by Senator Kelly," Xavier sighed as Hank paced about the office.

"First madame Tilby, now our homegrown Senator." Hank snarled.

"Hank, we've dealt with false accusations before ..."

"Are you certain they're false?" Hank demanded, slamming both hands down on Xavier's desk. "I still don't know if Selene's little concoction has worn off in my case. I remember losing to the beast inside me, I remember turning in early last night ..."

"Hank." Xavier rubbed the bridge. "You're jumping to conclusions again ..."

"And I'm not hearing any better explanations from you, Charles!" Hank snapped. "The public's eyes are on us already; the rumours are flying, and you don't seem to show the slightest interest!"

"Hank!" Xavier snapped, adding a slight psychic suggestion. Hank seemed to calm slightly. "I'm sorry, old friend, but we have more to deal with here than public speculation and innuendo!"

"What, pray tell?" Hank hissed.

"Danielle Moonstar. She just collapsed outside, and appears to be undergoing some seizure."

Hank's face fell. "Why didn't you ...?"

"Jean was nearby, and she's stable now. In fact, I was about to go to her, to see if I can determine the cause. In the meantime," he added, wheeling around the desk and placing a hand on Hank's shoulder, "Try not to let Kelly and Tilby get under your skin. We will ride this out, and it should blow over soon."

* * *

As often, Xavier spoke to the best of human ideals: the ability to understand their fellow man, to the point of being able to anticipate their collective actions.

What he tended to forget was the worst in them: the stuff of man that placed them beyond prediction.

"And I saw a _beast_ comin' out o' the darkness; out of your streets!" Craig shouted at his congregation that had gathered in front of his motel, and the television cameras that had joined them. Strange how a clear minion of Satan could work such wonders for his work; the fear its appearance had engendered was already showing its effects. This morning, his flock had doubled in size, not to mention volume, as many attending were muttering among themselves. Though somewhat offended at the less than rapt attention, Craig pressed on anyway. "It resembled a leopard, with claws like a tiger, and jaws like a wolf!"

As his rant continued, Risman, near the back of the crowd, glanced over at Stryker. "The man's in love with his own voice."

"It's his voice we need, now," Stryker replied, his narrowed eyes still on the wild-eyed Scot. "He knows how to turn a crowd."

"I know; I looked over his story." Risman returned his attention to the sermon. "I heard what he managed to do over in his hometown, and the damage it caused. We may have to deal with him before he goes too far ..."

"Too far?" Stryker whipped his glare towards Risman. "As our voice will no doubt soon remind you, the dragons have come to our land. The people have given them power. If we are to make war against them, we need the people." He pursed his lips. "Or we lose our souls to the Enemy."

* * *

Later that night, after the crowds had left, Craig was taking communion.

He glanced around the motel room as he poured himself another glass of the red wine he carried with him. As Jesus had demanded His apostles ate of his body and drank of his blood, so Craig had made a point of doing so each day. It felt righteous. Only spreading His word, and bringing Satan's demons to heel, surpassed that feeling.

Suddenly, he heard glass shatter.

* * *

"I've calmed her down as best I can, Professor," Jean explained as they approached the sleeping girl on the bed. "Where's Mr. McCoy?"

"He's had a hard day," Xavier replied, his eyes still on Danielle as he focused his mind. "You'll monitor her, tonight, while I make the attempt."

Jean raised an eyebrow. "Okay."

"Kitty?" Xavier turned toward the young woman sitting on the nearby bed, her face tense.

"No." Kitty shook her head firmly. "I'm not leaving."

"Then at least try to keep your thoughts quiet, understand?"

"Okay." Kitty nodded nervously.

Bowing his head, Xavier reached out with his mind. _Danielle?_

What he found was chaos.

* * *

"Hello?" Craig called as he stood up. Hearing no response, he instinctively reached for the baton he'd carried since entering the Lord's service.

He paused at the doorway and cocked his head. No sound reached him, except for the ringing within his own head. As his eyes adjusted, he noted that the room seemed out of focus as well. _Satan has __blinded me_.

* * *

_Danielle, it's Charles Xavier ...._

__

_Danielle!_

A flurry of images assaulted his mind; creatures in all shapes and forms tumbled through a dark void. _The demons of our subconscious. Danielle, why have you hidden here?_ The crowd shimmered, and Xavier thought he noticed a familiar form running among them. _Danielle, focus on my voice. Talk to me!_

_... It's happening now ..._ The forms vanished, leaving Xavier alone in the void.

_What is happening? Danielle, what did you see?_

* * *

"Ye may enter into me mind, O Unholy One," Craig slurred, walking unsteadily about his rooms. "Ye may make me blind and deaf, but I have faith!" He glared at the broken window. "God will come; He will come with vengeance!"

A pounding occurred from a nearby wall. "Knock it off!" someone yelled.

"He will save me! He will save all faithful! My eyes will be opened, and my ears unstopped!"

"He won't save you from me if you don't shut up!" his neighbour yelled.

* * *

_The beast, the dream, the beast in the dream ...!_

_What beast?_

* * *

"Come out of the shadows now!" Craig yelled. "I will not broken!"

"That's it ..." Someone shuffled about next door.

As he heard the door open, something latched onto his arm.

* * *

Suddenly, Xavier noticed a flash of blue, and the beast was upon him.

* * *

Craig screamed as the thing drove him to the ground. Swinging the baton wildly, he finally felt a solid impact, and was rewarded by a howl from the creature.

"Demon!" he yelled. "I've seen yer kind before! I will never ...!" He, in fact, never finished his sentence, as the thing swung toward him, catching him across the face. Blood landed on the wall. The thing swung again, blood flew, and Craig dropped to his knees, clutching his bleeding stomach. Snarling, the beast moved in.

"Oh my God!" The beast whipped around towards the large, terrified man in the doorway. "Honey, call the police!!!"

* * *

"Professor!" Jean cried as Xavier convulsed.

"No ..." Xavier gasped. "It ... it can't be ..."

**[**

**The Next Day**

"_**I dunno, I didn't get a good look at it. It jumped through the window and ran for the woods. It was definitely standing on its own two legs, had fur, and ... God ... claws covered in blood ...."**_

"_**The beast is here!!!"**_ The camera swivelled towards the motel room door as the paramedics hauled a bleeding, frenzied Craig out of the room. **_"Do nae give it power! Do nae allow it to ...!"_**

"_**This latest incident has sent shockwaves throughout the Bayville community, waves which have already reached Washington," **_Trish reported

"_**Senator Kelly!"**_

"_**I've said it already: there is a beast threatening my hometown, and a beast still living freely in that same hometown. I ask Chief Bronson this: what will you do? And how long will you wait to do it?"**_

Xavier quietly turned down the volume as the news continued its flurry, then swivelled to face his instructors. "Logan, did you find anything at either scene?"

"Nothin useful," Logan grunted. "Too many vultures droppin' by."

"So what do we do?" Scott asked, his arms crossed. "And why isn't Hank here?"

Xavier's eyes lowered towards his desk. "I just received a call from Bronson early this morning. They wish to bring Hank in for questioning on the matter."

"No ..." Ororo's eyes widened. "Charles, you don't think ...?!"

"I don't know, Ororo," Xavier sighed. "I just don't know ..."

"I do."

Everyone whirled towards the doorway. "Hank?" Jean asked.

The large blue furry instructor, mentor and friend to many at the Institute, someone whose intellect was only matched by his heartwarming personality, now looked as though he was in shock. His face appeared to have gone numb, while his hands clung to a rolled up bedsheet.

"Hank? What is it?" Xavier asked.

"I think you already know." Slowly, he unfurled the bedsheet, revealing a sight that cut into the room like a cold blade, freezing hopes and opening wounds.

Blood stained the sheets.

* * *

A red glow swam across the Institute, moving across openwindows filled with dumbstruck, unbelieving expressions.

Hank clutched the plastic bag he'd stashed the bloody sheets in as he slowly approached the gates where the police cars waited.

_Hank, are you sure ...?_

_Charles, we discussed this. _Hank continued towards the waiting officers. _Two nights, two attacks: I won't risk any more. _

_If there's anything you need ..._

_I need you all to stay out of this; there's no need to involve anyone else ..._

_Don't be foolish, Hank,_ Xavier countered harshly. _You're an integral part of this Institute, and an irreplaceable friend to many here. Whatever you decide, we are involved._

_What would you have me do?! _Hank finally stopped and glared over his shoulder. _Shall I wait until someone else is hurt, or worse? I always feared this day would come, when the beast would beat me._

_Hank, all I'm saying is that we don't know anything for sure. Just don't condemn yourself until we have all the facts. Can you promise me that much?_

"You coming, mutie, or do we have to come in?" one of the officers shouted.

Hank sighed, hung his head, and resumed his slow trek towards the police. _I'll wait for them to identify the blood, but in police custody._

As he neared the gate, he spotted a familiar face hovering behind the cars, flanked by a man with a TV camera. "Ms. Tilby," he called coolly. "Enjoying your handiwork?" Trish, looking anything but happy, focused her eyes on the ground.

"Let's go," one the officers grunted. "Henry McCoy, you're under arrest for attempted murder and assault inflicting bodily harm. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you ..."

* * *

"This joke is getting _way_ too old!" Evan snarled, slamming an armoured wrist into the coffee table, around which the rest of the team had gathered after watching the police cars leave with their instructor.

"Evan!" Ororo snapped, but her nephew wasn't finished yet.

"First we let 'em haul off Cerebro, now we're handing Teach over to them." He glowered at an impassive-looking Xavier. "What's next, Professor?"

"You rather they came in here?" Warren countered. "Because they were ready to."

"Better than sitting on our butts," Tabitha put in.

"It's like we're hanging him out to dry," Ray added.

"That ain't it, Shocks," Logan growled.

"Then what is it?" Bobby demanded. "Someone cries mutie, we roll right over?"

"No." Xavier's calm voice was followed by silence. "They may have cause to hold Hank, but I assure you all, I will not allow them to convict him for something he didn't do." He sighed and averted his eyes. "That being said, we must consider all possibilities; even ..."

Rogue's eyes widened. "Yer sayin' ya _believe _them now?!"

"I'm saying we cannot be sure."

"But that doesn't make sense, Professor." Scott shook his head. "We've seen him out of control; he takes on anything in sight. Why would he sneak halfway across town to track the same guy, who he doesn't even know?"

"You're right, it is hard to believe. However ..." Xavier glanced towards a subdued-looking Danielle seated next to him. "Danielle, could you tell them what you sensed?"

Danielle shifted uncomfortably. "What I tried to tell Kitty and Kurt yesterday ... well, what's been happening ... someone's been having a nightmare like it."

"A nightmare?" Roberto asked incredulously.

"I didn't sense anything," Jean added.

"Danielle's power goes directly to our subconscious," Xavier explained. "Her collapse was a direct reaction to a particularly vivid nightmare."

"What kinda nightmare?" Rahne asked softly.

"Hard to explain, but ... there was a beast, and a man, who were both the same. And, in the dream, they ... lost control."

"I analyzed the dream she detected," Xavier stated. "While most nightmares are a product of past trauma, there are others that reflect long suppressed urges; desires we fight to control. The kind that push the boundaries of our consciousness even while we are awake. The dream Danielle detected was definitely the latter. And it most definitely came from someone in the Institute."

* * *

"So, where'd you go, couple nights ago?" Sergeant Waters asked casually as he circled Hank.

"Far as I remember, to bed,"Hank replied matter-of-factly, his cuffed hands on the table and his face fixed ahead of him.

"Right. And the next night?"

"The same."

"How convenient. Anyone see you turn in?"

"I'm afraid not; I was discreet. And I was sleeping alone."

"Too bad." Waters grinned. "So, both nights, you're nowhere to be found while a visiting preacher gets mauled to the teeth by a beast walking on two legs. You sure you don't want a lawyer?"

"Haven't we been over this already?"

"Well, we're going through it again!" Waters snapped. "What did you have against the preacher?"

"Nothing," Hank stated. "In fact, I felt sorry for him. 'That he's mad, tis true, 'tis pity; and pity 'tis true, a foolish figure.'"

"Thank you, Polonius," Waters replied crossly. "And I'm sure you remember, 'That one may smile, and smile, and yet be a villain; at least I am sure it may be so, in Bayville.'"

"You know your Shakespeare."

"I know a lot more than that." Waters reached out, unlocked Hank's cuffs, and confidently sat down opposite him. "I know about the blood you brought into the station. I know about the hairs you left hanging in Craig's gut. I know, any minute now, I'll be getting the results from the lab."

"Good." Hank stared impassively. "Then you don't need me, do you?"

"I also know about the time you made your big entrance; I was a beat cop back then, a rookie fresh out of the Academy. They called everyone out: you were smashing everything in sight, going after everything with a beating heart." Hank's face slowly fell as Waters went on. "But they pulled you out, didn't they? Your kids, and the bald guy with the mind games. And then when you pick a fight and take down a city block, Baldy made one visit to the President, and you all ran scot free." Waters leaned towards Hank. "But they're not here now, are they? They're not pulling you out of this one; I wonder why that is?"

Hank's fists tightened as he willed himself to stay in his seat. "You'll have to ask them."

"I'm asking you, now." Waters leaned back in his chair. "What was it like? Your 'wild' nights? Did you enjoy them?"

"I don't remember." Hank's eyes were now on the table.

Sensing victory, Waters pressed on. "No? All a blank?" He pulled several photos from his jacket and slid one towards Hank. "You remember this one?" A bleeding Reverend Craig stared up at Hank, who twitched and averted his eyes. "No? How about this one?" He slid another photo he'd taken in the hospital, in which Craig stared upwards. "How about this one?"

"Stop ..." Hank growled.

"What? You want a closer look? Here." Waters slid several more towards Hank. "You remember that one? The one in the face? Or the one in the gut?"

"I'm through answering ..."

"How many more blank nights have you had, _Doctor_? There any more bleeding people I should know about?"

"I said ..."

"You want it to stop? I can make it happen, just say the word. Why'd you go after Craig?"

"I don't know ..."

"Know what?! That you'd lose it, that you'd lose it again?! And again?!"

"I said that's enough!" Hank snarled.

"Or are wondering what you'll do when it all stops, hmm? Go on, say it: what else would you do?" He stood up and leaned forward, his face stopping inches from Hank's. "Like right now, for instance?"

"Sergeant!" Bronson's familiar bark stopped both men cold. "You got a minute?"

Waters glared at Bronson, breathing deeply. "I'm in the middle of ..."

"This can't wait. Come on." With one last scowl at a flustered Hank, Waters stalked out of the room and slammed the door behind him. "Chief, I almost had him!"

"I know." Bronson studied the file he carried. "But I have some bad news."

* * *

"Really?" Xavier asked. "No, this is most welcome news .... oh .... I see .... no, I understand completely ... of course, we'll be on our way down." Hanging up the phone, he swivelled about. "Hank's in the clear."

A wave of relief hit him, as though his students and instructors now crowded into his office had collectively released the breaths they had been holding. "So what happened?" Jean asked.

"None of the hairs at the later attack belonged to him; they seemed to come from a wild animal. And, apparently the blood came from Hank himself; I assume he injured himself while dreaming last night," Xavier explained matter-of-factly.

"He beat himself up over a dream?" asked a dumbfounded Bobby.

"Trust me; it happens," Logan growled. "So what's the bad news, Chuck?"

Xavier folded his hands and glanced downward. "We're not the only ones awaiting news."

* * *

"CAGE THE BEAST!!! CAGE THE BEAST!!!"

Stryker looked on with satisfaction as the people, along with a cluster of cameramen he'd tipped off, crowded in front of the Bayville police station, loudly demanding justice. Since the Beast's very public arrest, he'd sent his congregation to spread the word and gather support, resulting in the magnificent display before him. Even Bronson, whatever influence these devils had over him, could only wait so long before making a public announcement.

"CAGE THE BEAST!!!"

"SEND HIM TO HELL!!!"

* * *

"_**... Tilby, outside the Bayville police station, awaiting word on the charges against X – Man Doctor Henry McCoy ..."**_

Logan snarled as the voice from the backseat reached him. "Chuck, can ya turn that down before I put six into the engine?!"

"Just get us to the station," Xavier instructed. "Hank may need our help getting out."

"Zhis is bad, isn't it?" Kurt murmured from the passenger seat. "All for one corrupt priest."

"The attack was real, Kurt," Xavier replied as Logan rounded the next turn.

"Right."

"We gonna have a problem, Elf?" Logan growled.

"Vhat: vith zhese 'Men of God' getting near Mr. McCoy or me getting near zhem?" Kurt spat.

"Kurt?" Xavier questioned, his hard eyes now on his longtime student.

"Don't vorry; vith _these _people, I prefer to get as far avay as I can."

Logan's hands tightened on the wheel. "Me too, Elf. Me too."

* * *

Bronson let out a long sigh as the shouts reached him. "You people tend to draw attention," he grumbled, watching his men mill about, donning riot gear, batons, and shields for the storm that approached.

Hank sat tensely, his eyes on the scene before him. "I'm sorry ..."

"Don't mention it," Bronson deadpanned. "Your people on their way?"

"Any minute now."

"Good, then I'd sneak out the back." Bronson shook his head and looked towards the front doors, through which could be seen the angry, expectant crowd. "I gotta go light the match."

* * *

"He doesn't look happy," Risman observed as Bronson stepped outside and walked slowly towards the cluster of reporters at the front of the crowd.

"No," Stryker agreed. "It means he's about to say what they don't want to hear."

"But I don't see the Beast there ..." Risman trailed off as he realized what it meant.

Near the back of the mob, where her cameraman had hopped up on a concrete block to catch the shot, Trish Tilby glanced over her shoulder in time to see Stryker wave towards several nearby men before marching toward the nearby alleyway.

* * *

"_**... based on the complete lack of evidence against the suspect, we, as sworn officers of the law, have no choice ..."**_

"Here we go," Logan grunted, pressing down on the accelerator as the shouts roared from the backseat.

* * *

Hank slipped onto the quiet street as the shouts crescendoed behind him. He took a slow breath, then frowned. People were approaching; one familiar scent in particular ...

"Mr. McCoy!" Trish Tilby, along with her uncomfortable-looking cameraman, stood at one end of the street.

* * *

"TRAITOR!" And Risman threw the first stone, clipping Bronson's shoulder and knocking him to the ground.

Then the storm broke.

The crowd surged towards stairs, ignoring any who fell under foot, their minds focused on the man who had announced his betrayal, who had unleashed the monster back onto their streets.

In the same instant, fully suited police officers burst out of the station, dodging around the downed Bronson while Waters pulled him to his feet and helped him inside. Inside a second, they smashed into the crowd, shields raised and batons swinging.

* * *

"Ms. Tilby," Hank snarled. "I think I've answered enough questions for ..."

"LOOK OUT!!!" Hank had barely time to twitch before something smashed into the back of his head.

"Keep it up!" Stryker shouted as his group of men converged on the falling Hank. "Do not let him recover!"

As the men began to slam their feet and clubs into Hank, a horrified Trish found herself pulling her earpiece free before she felt her cameraman's hand on her wrist. "Trish, are you _insane?!_" he hissed. "We can't get involved ..."

"We _are _involved; just keep an eye on them." Trish tore her hand free and started for the scuffle.

* * *

"Oh no," Xavier murmured as they found their path blocked by crowds of protestors and riot police struggling with one another. The crowd had given ground to the officers' first assault, only to draw them out into the street and surround them.

"Gotta take the express route. Elf!" Logan snapped, grabbing Kurt's hand.

* * *

Trish had barely reached the small crowd when one of them turned towards her, swinging his club toward her ribcage. Stopping short to avoid it, Trish felt her self-defense training come into play as she seized the club with free hand and brought her microphone towards the man's temple.

Suddenly, a yellowish smoke seemed to fill the air around them, and a snarling voice cut in. "You picked the _wrong _fight, bubs." As the air rang with screams, Trish felt a hand on her shoulder before more smoke surrounded her.

"Mr. McCoy!" Ignoring Trish, Kurt knelt beside his longtime instructor, who now lay battered and unconscious.

"Is he okay?"

"_Nein_; vhat do you care, anyway?" Kurt snapped. "It's vhat you vanted, vasn't it?"

Cold fury flooded Trish's veins. "Hell no, I was ... behind you!" she cried. Immediately, Kurt whirled about and brought his hands up to block the club coming down.

Seizing the stick in his fuzzy hands, Kurt glared at his opponent as he struggled over the weapon. "Is zhis zhe Vord now, _Fazher_?!"

Stryker glared back. "It always has been. _You _just weren't fit to hear it."

"Elf, come on!" Logan yelled as he drove an elbow into yet another attacker. "Before they make me _mad!_" Quickly, Kurt brought a knee into Stryker's stomach, then began to port.

As the devils disappeared into the hell from which they sprang, Stryker struggled to his feet and looked around him. He saw his companions who lay moaning in the aftermath of the larger brute's assault. He heard the shouts of the people demanding justice, and those of the leaders, the ones who had given over to the evil demons, demanding they disperse.

_God's judgment has been passed._

The plowing had begun.

* * *

"_**Within the span of a single day, the normally quiet town of Bayville has become a war zone ..."**_

"_**Get them out of here!"**_

"_**No more mutants!"**_

" _**... all starting with the repeated attacks visiting Reverend Adam Craig ..."**_

" _**... unidentified creature ..."**_

" _**... suspicion fell upon Henry McCoy ..."**_

" _**... upon his release due to lack of evidence ..."**_

" _**... protestors, many of them members of the local congregation ..."**_

" _**... joined by members of the Friends of Humanity ..."**_

" _**... police dispersed mob around station, only to see them spread into the city at large ..."**_

"Someone want to remind me why we're sitting around here?" Bobby piped up as everyone watched the violent images and panicked commentary on the screen. They had gathered in the infirmary after Kurt and Logan had brought back Hank's unconscious form, at which point the news about the riot had begun.

"When we can be sure our presence will do more good than harm," Xavier replied evenly.

"And the people caught in the middle of this?" Jean retorted. "How long do we wait for them?"

"Yeah, Professah; it ain't like we ain't done this before ..."

"Our assistance was requested those times," Xavier corrected Sam. "And rest assured, when our help is requested, we will move immediately. At the moment, however, our very presence in town is their current justification for this riot; arriving uninvited at the scene will likely only inflame it further."

"Thought they had their 'beast,'" Evan muttered, glancing at Hank's still form, then shooting a dark glare over his shoulder towards Trish, who sat in the corner of the room as far away from the others as she could manage.

"Charles?" Ororo walked inside, a phone in her hand. "You have a call."

Outside the infirmary, Danielle was approaching, rubbing her head and trying to sort out the terrible images that bombarded her mind. Since her previous night's session, she had slept through most of the day and woken up alone in the room she shared with Kitty and Rogue. Seeing no one in the rec room or kitchen, she had continued wandering towards the infirmary, wondering where everyone had gone. Suddenly, she heard sniffling.

Her eyes snapped open, and immediately spotted Rahne curled up in front of the infirmary door, her head in her hands. "Rahne?"

Rahne's head shot up, revealing moist, reddened eyes. "Oh. Hi, Danielle." She wiped at her eyes. "Everyone's in there."

"Are you okay?"

Rahne sniffed. "I just don't like mobs; they remind of ..."

Danielle winced as something nudged the edge of her awareness. What was ...?

"There you guys are!" Kitty whispered as she poked her head through the door. "Are you coming, or what?"

* * *

"LISTEN TO ME!" Stryker shouted at the tired, battered followers before him. "I know you have suffered, as I have! The forces we face are great, and have many pawns at their side! They have hurt us, in the name of the beasts and dragons they now protect!"

"But they do not have our spirit!" Stryker looked from one tear gas-stained face to one bruised and bleeding. "They do not have right on their side! They fight for the darkness, the epitome of emptiness, of deceipt, of ruin!"

"Millennia's past, a man of God warned a beleaguered and threatened people to arm themselves with their faith! To cloak themselves in God's protection, to remember who and what they faced; to prepare for a day of evil when they would be called upon to stand our ground!" Stryker stepped off the makeshift soapbox he'd claimed and approached the crowd. "Well, that time has come!"

"Like the Ephesians, we fight those in authority; those who send their gas and weapons against us. And our holy armor must be found within each of us. In our perserverance, in our determination, in our faith!"

"For many years, the Word of our Lord has been derided as fantasies, children's stories from the minds of madmen. We've been told that the Word _lies!_ That our fears were madness, that the very idea of good and evil were outdated, simplistic!"

"Well, look around. Creatures walk among us, creatures of unholy appearance with dark powers. Creatures who ask for our trust while they bring down our cities and threaten us with destruction during every waking moment! _Creatures ..._" He swung a pointing finger towards the distant mansion behind him. "_... like those that live in this very town!!!_"

"Who among you says that there is no coming day of evil?!!!" Shouts of support emerged from the crowd. Snatching the nearest torch he could see, he declared. "I will go now, and make my stand, alone if I must. I will see these false gods driven from our town, starting with the Beast! _Who will come stand __with me!!!_"

The roar was all the answer he needed to hear, and before Stryker took the time to register the sight, the entire mass of human beings marched along the small road. Toward the Xavier Institute, which a small car was already approaching.

Nearby, someone wielding a television camera was digging in his pockets for his cell phone. As he punched in the number, he muttered, "You better pick up this time, Trish."

* * *

"Mr. Xavier?"

Xavier sent a surprised look towards the voice. "It's _Professor_, and I'm on the phone .... really? Very good, I'm sorry for all of this ... very well, good night." Hanging up, Xavier, addressed his students. "Everyone? Good news; it appears that the rioters have finally dispersed. It is over."

"No it's not." Trish Tilby took a step towards Xavier, causing a wary Logan and Scott to rise to their feet. "I tried to tell you before ..."

"Tell me what, exactly?"

"_**This just in: Reverend Craig was just released, against medical advice, and has not been seen since."**_

Rahne suddenly paled and backed out of the room, drawing a curious glance from Jamie.

Trish cradled the cell phone in her hand. "I had my partner following the people who attacked Ha- Mr. McCoy at the station." Her grip on the phone tightened. "They're not _dispersed_; they're _regrouping._"

"For what?" Scott asked.

"They're going after the 'beast.'"

Scott immediately hopped up onto a table. "Everyone! We got another march heading our way! You know what to do!" Everyone was out of their chairs and rushing towards the doorway before he finished speaking, leaving Xavier alone in the infirmary with Hank and Danielle.

_Charles!!!_

Xavier winced. _Moira?! What is this ...?!_

_I've been callin' for hours since I left this mornin'! And I've been standin' outside ye gate, ringin' th'bloody doorbell with not a peep from all ye!_

_Kurt! _Xavier instinctively sent out, followed by instructions.

_Have ye' all forgotten how ta answer ... hey!!! _Kurt suddenly appeared in the infirmary, accompanied by a short woman with short red hair in the middle of a coughing fit. "Obviously can't say much about y'manners, either!"

* * *

"Rahne?" Jamie called. Having been ordered to the front of the house to watch for the approaching mob, he had decided to split up and check on Rahne. "Where are you?"

"Go away, Jamie."

"Rahne?" He turned a corner and found her huddled against the wall, her eyes sqeezed shut

"Please ..." she winced, and clawed at her head. "Stay ... away ..."

* * *

"I'm sorry about this, Moira," Xavier replied. "But I had to get you inside; there's a mob on its way here."

"Is that why ye've been ignoring your phone?!" Moira demanded, her eyes now open and blazing.

Xavier's voice rose slightly. "Actually, I've been ignoring the phone because, this entire day, it has been filled with inquiries from the press on my falsely accused instructor and threats from locals against my students! And my mind has been equally occupied trying to help one of them! In sum, our days have taken tumultuous turns ever since that fanatic Craig was attacked by the wild -!"

"Craig?!" Moira cut in. "Reverend Craig?!"

* * *

"Rahne, what's wrong?" Jamie demanded.

"Jamie, go ..." Rahne gasped, pressing her fists against her temples as hair began to grow on her face and hands. "Ye dinnae know ... what's in me ...!"

* * *

"You know this Craig?"

"Ya." Moira paced about like a cat. "When I was doin' research around the area I lived, I came across Rahne, who tested positive at an early age. Craig was her guardian at the time, and when I told him, he ..." Moira clenched her fists tight.

"Vhat happened?" Kurt asked softly. None of them noticed Danielle squeezing her eyes shut.

"He took her out in public, paraded her before his little 'flock', called her irredeemable sinner, and ..." Moira shook her head sharply. "He may as well have put her on a cross, for all the pain he caused her that night!"

"Why did you never tell me this, Moira?" Xavier demanded.

"It wasn't my secret to tell!" Moira snapped. She stopped pacing and fixed her fiery glare on Charles. "But now he's here, Charles!"

* * *

Reverend Craig could already hear the shouts as he made his way up the road towards the mansion. He had trouble keeping up, what with his own injuries, but he was determined not to slow.

He had a mission to join, a holy quest that was being usurped by that heretic Stryker while he, Reverend Craig, suffered the pains of the devil.

But first, he had his own sin to wash himself of. Craig glanced at the pistol he'd stolen, then continued.

* * *

"Kurt, find Rahne and bring her here," Xavier instructed. "We need to ..."

"NO!" Everyone in the room froze as they noticed Danielle on the floor, writhing uncontrollably.

* * *

"Rahne ...?" Jamie stopped as Rahne's suddenly hairy face whipped up toward him, fixing two yellow eyes on him. More specifically, on his throat.

* * *

"Danielle!" Xavier snapped as Moira instinctively rushed down to hold her in place. _Danielle, what is happening?_

_The beast ... it's here ..._

* * *

Rahne slammed into Jamie, driving him to the ground and snapping at him with her growing jaws.

"Rahne!" Jamie cried, struggling to hold her off. "Rahne, it's ...!" He suddenly screamed as Rahne dug several claws into his chest.

* * *

"Jamie?!" Scott asked the Jamie next to him, who was suddenly clutching his chest.

"Rahne ... "

* * *

"... stop ..." he groaned as Rahne's jaws thrust down one final time.

* * *

Jamie now clutched his throat as he fell before being caught by a concerned-looking Scott. "Jamie, what's wrong?" It was then that the inhuman howl echoed through the mansion.

* * *

It soon reached the infirmary.

"No ..." Moira breathed.

"She's regressing early, isn't she?" Xavier pulled Danielle to a sitting position and placed a hand on her forehead.

"Ya ..."

Xavier closed his eyes. _X Men, listen carefully._

* * *

A beast prowled about the hallway as the mauled Jamie faded from view. The taste had vanished from her mouth as well, leaving only the memory ...

"Rahne?" The familiar voice with the Russian accent did not even register as she charged the open door, tackling a surprised Piotr and darting her jaws down towards his throat, only to run into something hard and unyielding. Grunting, a fully metallic Piotr pried the snarling form off him and tossed her down the hallway. Landing with a grace unlike her canine form, she bounded down the hallway.

Suddenly, she paused as a strange scent reached her.

"Stand down," Laura growled from her perch at the top of the wall. "Or ..." Laura never finished her threat, as Rahne had already pounced toward her, driving her to the floor. _I do not understand these orders_ Laura thought as the beast tore into her.

"Rahne, stop!" A red beam slammed into Rahne, driving her off the mauled Laura and down the hallway. Scott stepped into the room, hand on his visor. "Rahne, you don't have to do this. I don't want to hurt you ..." But Rahne was beyond such restraints, and moved with near-blinding speed, bounding down the hallway, bouncing off walls to avoid Scott's blasts, and finally hurtling into him, knocking him to the floor. Growling, Rahne arched her head back ...

And was blinded by bright flashes.

"Scott, are you all right?" Jubilee demanded as she ran up to him. Hearing the new voice, Rahne pounced despite her still-poor eyesight. Yelping, Jubilee dodged to the side, and Rahne landed in the opposite room, running for the nearest exit she could sense.

Suddenly, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her. "Where you going, girl?" Roberto grunted as he tightened his grip on the writhing, snarling Rahne. "I got her!" he yelled as he made his way toward the next room.

_Bring her to the infirmary, Roberto. And please, be careful._

_You got it_. Roberto struggled despite his enhanced strength to hold onto Rahne. "Rahne, will you quit – HEY!" he snarled as Rahne twisted and spat in his eye. Blinded by saliva and driven by rage at the affront, Roberto swung his girlfriend around towards what he thought was the wall.

Instead, he heard the sound of glass shattering, and felt Rahne fly from his grasp.

"Roberto!" he heard Jean demand as she ran into the room, followed by Ray and Amara. "What did you _do?!_"

Roberto wiped his eyes and looked toward the wall, only to be confronted by broken window.

* * *

Rahne landed with a roll, breaking her fall, and swiftly rose to her feet. Other than a few shallow cuts from the glass, she was unhurt.

Suddenly a familiar scent reached her, and she froze, quivering as her mind processed the scent.

_Him._

Her head whipped around, and soon spotted the moving group of glowing lights moving towards the mansion. _There_, Rahne thought, and a terrible hunger overtook her, a desire to invite fear, to inflict pain; a hunger she had barely satisfied the previous two nights.

With barely another conscious thought, she moved toward the crowd.

* * *

The unholy mansion grew larger in their sights; the home of devils, liars, and false gods.

And Reverend William Stryker's flock approached.

They marched, torches in hand and makeshift weapons in hand, united by righteous fear of these false gods, by righteous anger at the ground they had already taken; by the hope that, tonight, they would beat the Lord's test, and drive the forces of evil from their town.

They slowed as they approached the forest near the mansion; before becoming soldiers of faith, they had been citizens of the town: bankers, factory workers, fathers, brothers; every bit men and women like those who had refused to follow and stayed at home, submitting to the yoke of the X men and their instruments. Only the latest crisis facing Bayville, along with the answer offered by men of God, had drawn them to their most righteous cause.

Now, however, with the dark of night upon them and the darker forest at their sides, many were already remembering their unfamiliarity with war, and were glancing about nervously.

Stryker saw this. "Stand firm," he called, moving to the head of the crowd. "And have faith." He turned to face the crowd. "Whatever they send against us, they will ..."

Howl in the night, he should have said, as the unseen creature did.

Everyone froze. "The beast," someone whispered.

"Stand your ground!" Stryker yelled, bringing his torch up and waving it about, seeking the beast.

They did not have to wait long. Seconds passed, and it hurtled out of the forest, landing amid them. Panicked shouts ensued, as everyone attempted to manoeuvre themselves to strike at the beast despite the close proximity of their fellow. Strangely enough, the beast was not striking at anyone, but was instead fending off those who managed to get a swing in while it glanced around, as though searching the crowd.

Not that it mattered. Raising his baton, Stryker prepared to strike the beast from their midst, at which point it leapt upwards, rising over their heads and landing near the treeline. With one last snarl in their direction, it turned and ran.

Stryker's mind flared brighter than the torches. To be toyed with, and then ignored ... "Follow it! Hunt it down, wherever it goes!"

* * *

"Bad, I'm guessing?"

"Close enough, Bobby." Scott looked grimly at the group running into the forest. "We have to find her before they do."

"Or slow them down," Evan suggested, extending his wrist spikes.

"Right; beat them up on TV; _that_ always worked out so well," Jean put in sarcastically.

"You got a better idea?"

"Actually, I might." Scott turned and looked at one of his team members. "If you're up to it."

* * *

"There!" someone yelled, aiming his torch and briefly illuminating the fleeing form. Like sharks smelling fresh blood, Stryker and his compainions flocked towards her trail and gave chase. Having seen the creature, and survived its attack, they were no longer afraid, but rather determined to drive it from their existence, and eventually their memories.

When confronted by the flash of sulphuric smoke in their path, however, they were caught off guard.

"Take your picks, but leave your sickle," Kurt stated. "You're in _our _fields." His yellow eyes flared as he spotted Stryker.

"Demon ...!" someone gasped.

"It's Nightcrawler, actually." Kurt leaned against the nearby tree. "Vas out for a stroll in zhe woods; and I brought company." As he waved towards someone behind him, the woods came alive with dozens of small forms, making their way to the gaps between trees and lining up beside Kurt. Now the congregation was at a loss: they faced a long row of young boys blocking their path.

* * *

"Can you sense her?" Logan whipped his head around and snarled incoherently at Scott. "Right; don't ask."

"Rahne!" Amara yelled, casting her lit face around the woods.

"Will you put that out, Firegirl!" Logan hissed. "Yer spookin' her!"

Amara obediently allowed her fire to dim. "What are we supposed to _do?_" she whispered back. "Hunt her?"

"Yeah." A shocked silence fell over the group. "The kid's stepped out, and what she left behind ain't takin' her calls for her." He turned to face the group. "She won't let us near her, unless we get to her without tippin' her off. Got it?" He continued to glare until they finally nodded.

"Spread out," Scott ordered. "Stay in contact, and keep your eyes open. She's out here, lets find her."

"And keep the noise down for once," Logan grumbled as they all set off.

* * *

As the beast in Rahne moved to escape, and hunt; and her friends moved to find her, others stood their ground.

"Move."

"_Nein._"

Stryker glowered. With all the calm he could muster, he spoke slowly. "Our fight is not is not with your kind, demon. But we have a holy mission, and ..."

"Your fight ends here, _Fazher_." Kurt took a step forward.

"There's nothing _holy _about your mission, anyway," Jamie snapped.

"Liar!" Stryker brought his torch up towards Kurt, who stared without flinching. "You made your home in our town, and bring destruction with you!"

"Do you always blame the innocent for those who shed zheir blood?" Kurt asked softly.

"_You _are not innocent!" Stryker took a step towards Kurt. "I see the darkness in you; all of you!" One of the Jamies lowered his face. "Your denials are meaningless!"

* * *

_I'm tracking Rahne now,_ Xavier advised, having donned the portable Cerebro once Danielle was stabilised.

_Where is she?_

_A moment ..._ The X men tensely traversed through the forest, casting wary eyes about. _Amara, behind you!_ Amara spun about and fell back, barely avoiding Rahne's pounce. Landing on all four limbs, Rahne was ready to pounce again, only to recoil as two bright glowing flames appeared in front of her.

"Rahne!" Amara yelled, holding her flaming between them. "What are you doing?!" Rahne had no answer, as Logan had tackled her. "Logan?!"

"She ain't in a listenin' mood, Firegirl!" Logan grunted as he struggled to keep his hold on the thrashing beast in his grasp. "Kids never list-OUCH!" he yelled as Rahne suddenly twisted towards and sank her teeth into his nose. His hold weakened ever so slightly, allowing Rahne to slip through his arms and jam her toe claws into his shoulders. One backhand slash to the face later, she was off and running. Logan rolled over onto his hands and knees, muttering something. Amara thought she caught the words "... nice guy, right ..."

* * *

"I'm not denying anything." Kurt folded his hands behind his back. "I'm not a demon, but I'm no angel eizher. I've been tempted. I've fallen." He looked over at Jamie, then back at Stryker and the angry, afraid faces behind him. "A lot of us have." His expression hardened. "But, vhatever you say about us, _you _are zhe vones still lying down!"

* * *

"Woah!" Bobby yelled as Rahne burst out of a tree and down toward him. Instinctively, he activated his ice slide and glided away, breathing a sigh of relief before glancing over his shoulder. "No way!" Rahne was still behind him, her claws digging into the ice as she pursued him. "Uhhh ..." he stammered. "_Help here?!!!_"

As though in answer, a gust of wind rose, knocking Rahne off the ice slide. Gesturing as she soared in, Ororo summoned a gentle updraft, slowing Rahne's descent.

* * *

Stryker glanced over his shoulder and noticed his people exchanging uncertain glances. _He has his foothold_. "Do not listen to him!" he yelled, positioning himself between his followers and the devil. "Remember what you already know! Remember how long they hid among us, hiding their true natures! Remember the destruction they rained on our streets, on _our world_, with _their wars! _Remember the beast these false prophets have unleashed ..."

"_Ve're not prophets!!!_"

* * *

Remy was finding out how very human they could be.

His senses on full alert as he crept through the jungle, Remy was nonetheless caught completely by surprise when Rahne tackled him, knocking him into a tree and into unconsciousness.

As Remy crumpled, Rahne reared up, ready to strike, before two large metallic arms wrapped around him. "Here!" Piotr yelled as Rogue ran up to him, slipping off her gloves. "Quickly!"

Nodding, Rogue reached a bare hand toward Rahne's face, only to pull it back as Rahne snapped at her fingers. "Can ya hold her still?!"

"Trying ..." Piotr grunted and attempted to tighten his hold, at which point Rahne twisted around and barked in his face, her saliva flying into his unprotected eyes. As he shouted in surprise, his hold loosened, allowing Rahne to clamber up him and leap over his head, bounding into the forest. "Stay!" Piotr ordered, pointing at the unconscious Remy. "I will follow!" Despite her clear annoyance with the task, Rogue knelt down near Remy as Piotr ran after Rahne.

* * *

"Ve're not gods," Kurt insisted in a calmer tone. "Ve're not devils, ve're not spirits, ve're _human_." He stepped to the side and addressed the people behind Stryker. "Ve vere born on zhis earth, vith new genes. Ve grew up, learning, making mistakes ..." Pausing, he teleported. "Dealing vith powers ve didn't see coming. Ve're _people_, making choices and living vith zhe consequence." He removed the cross he wore around his neck and held it up for them to see. "Me, I chose a life of faith." He looked over at Jamie. "Him ...."

The Jamie's glanced at one another. "Haven't decided."

Kurt returned his attention to Stryker. "Ve're human, fazher; like all of you. Ve don't vant to rule anyvone; ve just vant to live our lives ..."

"_ENOUGH!_"

* * *

At the moment, life was proving a challenge for some.

Rahne ran, only to skid to a stop as a row of long spikes landed in front of her. Snarling, she moved to avoid it, only to run into another row of spikes intersecting the first. Immediately, she heard another two volleys behind her.

"I got her!" Evan yelled from his perch on the tree branch above Rahne, who was trapped inside his makeshift cage. Then he looked down at her. "Oh _man _...!"

Clearly having heard Evan, Rahne was scrabbling her way up the spikes and then leaping into the tree trunk. "Since when can _dogs_ climb?!" he demanded as he tried to flee. Unfortunately, as he pulled his hands free, he lost his balance and hurtled towards the ground. _The puppy can climb, but I can't?!_

As he fell, Rahne watched a figure jump and grab onto him before they both sunk into the ground, out of sight. Seeing no one, she leapt towards the ground.

"Girl, that _still _feels weird," she heard behind her, and circled to face a stone-faced Kitty and an unsettled Evan rising out of the ground.

* * *

"What do you know of humanity?!" Stryker demanded, quivering with rage. "What do you know of _faith?!_"

"I know it isn't a leash, to drag someone around!" Kurt yelled back. "Or a bone, to make them chase." Several were glancing at the weapons in their hand. "Is zhat vhat you're telling them, Jehu? No talk of peace, fall in behind you?"

"You speak of peace," Stryker snarled, "as your witchcraft, in all its forms, runs amok."

* * *

Rahne snarled and ran away from the two. She was immediately confronted by more.

"It's over, Rahne," Scott stated, walking towards her flanked by Jubilee. As she charged toward them, both fired at the ground in front of her. Instinctively, she turned and ran in a new direction, just before another red beam, along with bolts of electricity slammed into the ground. Hissing and snarling, Rahne retreated as more figures began to emerge from the woods around her. Everywhere, unfamiliar scents, faint traces of her prey, out of her reach .... She growled in frustration: they were everywhere ...

Suddenly those growls turned to whimpers as she felt herself bombarded by cold rain. Shivering as her coat became soaked she backed under a tree a moment before her feet were frozen.

Trapped, surrounded, beaten ... Rahne did the only thing she could conceive of doing.

She arched her head and howled at the moon.

* * *

"You disappear! You turn the natural elements against us! You reach into our minds, corrupt our souls!" Stryker ranted. "What can you possibly believe in?!"

"I believe in a God of peace, mercy, and forgiveness. I believe Jesus taught us to love our neighbours, not destroy them. I believe in same zhing I thought you did, Fazher!" Kurt argued, pointing at Stryker. "A God vith hope for all our souls. What I don't believe in is zhe violence you've brought here."

For the first time that night, Stryker was silent.

* * *

Rahne thrashed about, barked at the figures closing in, howled mournfully.

"Rahne, listen to me," Scott coaxed as he slowly apparoached the trapped Rahne. "It's me, Scott; these are ..." he trailed off as Rahne snapped at him.

"Rahne?" She suddenly froze as the familiar voice hit her, and she looked up in time to see Moira McTaggart and Charles Xavier being lowered near them by Jean and Warren respectively. "Rahne: ye gonna bite me too, now?" Moira asked in her soft, yet sharp-tongued, accent.

* * *

"Your words are ... _pretty_," Stryker calmly told Kurt. "You speak well, but ..."

"I can do more zhan speak." Everyone in the crowd tensed, waiting for attack, trick, or similar show of power from the demon they faced. What they saw shocked them as no demonic power ever could.

Kurt bowed his head and knelt before Stryker.

For all present, having lived in a town where one became somewhat accustomed to acts of power, no act had shocked them more than the sight of the demon surrendering.

Even Jamie was shocked by the sight; however, upon noticing Kurt gesturing behind his back, and the glint of cameras nearby, Jamie realized what Kurt was planning, and slowly lowered himself into a seated position and crossed his legs.

"Ve're at your mercy, Fazher," Kurt said. "Vhat vill you do?"

* * *

"Shhhh," Moira coaxed, her hands wrapped tightly around Rahne's quivering jaw. A low growl still emerged.

_Keep talking to her, Moira_, Xavier instructed, his mind probing for the girl now overwhelmed by her beast.

"Havin' a rough night, aren't we lass?" Moira stroked Rahne's snout with her fingertips as she continued to trap the jaw shut. "Remember yer last one? Yer little romp through the village? Gave quite a few scares; in fact, I t'ink they're still tellin' stories 'bout ye!"

_Keep it up; I'm believe I'm getting something ... _Rahne continued to growl.

"Come on, lass: this isn't nothing you haven't taken before." Moira locked eyes with those of Rahne's. "We're waitin for ye; care to join us?"

Everyone waited, breaths held, eyes focused on Rahne as she struggled against Moira's grip, though not as fiercely as before. Even the growling was subsiding. Finally, a small voice emerged. "Ma?"

"Get away from the demon."

* * *

"Tell me, _Kurt_," Stryker said, wincing as he prounounced the name. "How does one show mercy to those who threaten their very souls?" And he swung his foot into Kurt.

* * *

Reverend Craig aimed the shaking pistol at Rahne. "I said get_ away!_" he yelled, limping towards the group, all of whom were slowly backing away from Rahne and moving to encircle him. Except for two.

"Put the gun down, Reverend," Xavier ordered from his seat next to a snarling Rahne.

"This doesn't involve ye." Craig took another awkward step towards Rahne, who strained at the ice block imprisoning her feet. Already, cracks were begin to appear. "Move. Both o' ye."

"Not on your life." Moira glared as she moved to block Craig's shot.

"Moira ..." Xavier warned.

"You too, now?" Craig's eyes widened as he finally noticed Moira. "Has ye little shelter finally cast its queen out?"

"Thought that was _your_ department, _Reverend_," Moira spat. "Everywhere ye go, Craig, everywhere ye preach, always a fight startin', always someone hurt."

Craig raised his chin, then returned his attention to Xavier. "Send yer devils away; leave me with the beast, and our quarrels end."

"Out of the question." Xavier met Craig's gaze squarely. "We're not going anywhere."

"For a beast ...?"

"No!" Xavier's eyes flared. "Rahne Sinclair is a human being, with the same right to life as any of us, even you. _No one_ has the right to take that away!"

"It is God's right, and His will. I am, but an instrument." Craig pulled the trigger, and the shot rang out, cutting through Xavier's leg.

"NO!" Craig suddenly felt the gun rise up, almost tearing his arm out of his socket. In the next instant, a red beam slammed into the gun, knocking it from his hands.

And the ice at Rahne's feet shattered.

"Rahne, _NO!_"

As he struggled back up to his feet, Craig heard the inhuman howl and looked up to see the beast hurtling towards him. Craig gasped and tried to stumble out of its path; he was not ready, he was not cleansed; he could not meet the Lord before he had washed himself clean of his last sin, which now hurtled toward him.

Suddenly, the beast halted in midair, as if in the grip of something unseen.

"I ... can't ... hold ... her ..." Jean said through gritted teeth.

"Everyone, get between them," Scott ordered.

Craig heard and saw none of this: his mind is on the miracle that has saved him, that had preserved him to continue his work. It was God's will, there was no doubt now. _He _would remove this last vestige of Satan in his life. _He _would lead the charge against the rest. _He _would wash his sounds before the seven trumpets ...!

And the first trumpet sounded.

And a shower of blood and hail peppered him. Craig froze. _Not now!!!_

But it was too late. He could see the great fire in the distance, spreading toward him. _The first angel! _Desperately, he looked around for Rahne, but she was gone along with the other devils. Only the fire surrounded him now.

He was alone. He was forsaken. He was condemned ...

He was screaming and clutching at his head as the dumbfounded X men watched. "NOOO!!!" he screamed as he turned and ran. "NOT NOW!!! PLEASE, GOD! NOT YET!"

"Uhhh ..." Bobby rubbed the back of his neck. "What's with him?"

"I'm not sure," Xavier murmured, glancing toward the mansion.

Then the shouts reached them.

* * *

As Stryker struck the kneeling Kurt, so too did he break the uneasy standoff that had formed between his congregation.

"Leave him alone!!!" Jamie instinctively rushed forward to help Kurt, all of his clones following suit.

Seeing the small army moving towards them, the crowd broke also. Their doubts forgotten, their fears reaffirmed, they charged to meet the menacing sight.

Jamie shoved at Stryker, who was continuing to attack the downed Kurt. As he reached down and tried to drag Kurt to safety, the men and women fell upon. One of them caught Jamie in the forehead.

As he fell unconscious, his clones disappeared, allowing the crowd to surround the two young X men.

Stryker revelled in the moment as he fought his way through the crowd, baton in hand.

Then he felt the arm close around his throat.

By the time Xavier and the rest of the X men arrived, Jamie and Kurt had all but disappeared beneath the mass of protestors and police officers struggling with one another. The stands they had taken, the lines they had drawn, none of that was apparent in the random, shifting mass of battling humans.

_This is what fear ends with._ Xavier found himself thinking. _Violence_

* * *

"_**Bayville's jail cells were filled beyond their capacity within the night in the wake of the riot at the police station, along with the later attack on the Xavier Institute by members of that same group. No Fortunately, except for two members of the X men assaulted on their front lawn, only minor injuries have resulted from the major uproar. In Bayville, this is Manoli Wetherell ..."**_

The television went silent as Bronson thumbed the pause button, then leaned back his chair, facing his prisoner. "Something you want to add, Reverend?"

Stryker simply placed his handcuffed hands on the table and ignored Bronson.

"Nothing? You won't call a lawyer, you haven't asked me to leave, you haven't said a word."

"I have nothing to say to the pawns of the Devil," Stryker replied, almost matter-of-factly.

"Mm-hmm." Bronson examined the document before him. "Maybe you haven't clued into where you are." He pointed at the silent, frozen image on the television: Stryker with his hands on the unresisting Kurt. "That's one of about a half dozen news cameras catching you in the act. You, assaulting a mutant, unprovoked, while he was on his knees. Do I need to spell it all out?" Seeing no reaction from Stryker, Bronson held up a hand and begin to tap his fingers as he spoke. "Trespassing. Disturbing the peace. Assault. Attempted murder. Not to mention the fighting words doctrine our D.A is looking into. Do you want me lay out what kind of time you're looking at?"

Stryker finally met Bronson's eyes and smiled slightly. "I am a man of God, Chief. When you persecute one of us, you incite the entire flock. Does your Mayor really want to be known as the start of a local witchhunt?"

Bronson laughed softly. "You know, he was worried about that before; at least until he got this." Bronson slipped one of the papers in his folder and slid it towards Stryker. "Your local Bishop just wrote to us. The Church isn't happy with your little 'sermon' last night. They're not stepping up to bat for you. In fact, they've already been tossing around the word _laicize_. I assume you know what that means?"

Stryker finally stiffened. "I am not the heretic ..."

"No, you're a criminal!" Bronson snapped. "You're no longer a 'Man of God,' Stryker. Your brothers have cast you out, and we're taking you in. You can either stand trial, or you can plead out, skip out, and go to a prison of _your_ choice. Either way, you're going in."

Though his muscles were still tensed, Stryker did not shift position, except to move his eyes away from Bronson. "I know fear Chief; there are many things I fear in this world. But your courts are not one of them."

"_That _will fix you." Bronson shook his head. "Your display last night already made you a pariah in your own church. By the time a public trial's over, you won't be redeeming anyone. You'll be a convicted criminal. A thug."

Stryker did not flinch. "I would become all things to all men, so that I might save some from those you protect."

Suddenly, the door to the interrogation room swung open. "Chief Bronson?" Matthew Risman, in a simple brown suit, stepped inside, followed by two annoyed-looking officers. "I need a minute with my client."

* * *

Jamie nervously looked at the flower in his hand. _No big deal _he told himself. _You're just being a friend, dropping in like everyone else has. Nothing to it. Nothing ..._ He stopped and took a deep breathe as he approached the hallway. _Just go in, say hello, leave the ... ohh. _His heart sank as he noticed a taller Puerto Rican entering and shutting the door behind him. Clutching the flower tightly, Jamie turned and began heading back the way he came.

"Excuse me, lad?" Jamie froze as he noticed the taller redhead glaring down at him. "Weren't ye supposed to be bed?"

* * *

Rahne herself was still in bed, her eyes fixed on outside, while her mind gazed warily inward, on the lookout for the beast that had claimed her last night.

She could still remember it; the burning demand that had washed over her, run _through _her to the point that she may have well have been breathing it. The demand that to hunt her prey, to protect her territory, tearing into any who interfered ....

_Stop it!!! _she told herself. But her memories didn't lie. She had attacked, without mercy, every one of her friends; she _had_ killed Jamie, or rather his clone – and her heart tightened as her thoughts turned on her friend, in her jaws again.

Suddenly, her ears twitched as she heard the door close. "Hey," Roberto smiled, revealing the large box of chocolates he had snuck in under his arm. "Thought you might want this ..."

"Why?" she growled, crossing her arms. Upon seeing her boyfriend's eyes widened, she closed her eyes and put a hand to her face. Sure enough, the only hairs on her face were the usual amount around her eyes. So it wasn't the beast, just the same flare of annoyance she had often been feeling around him.

She then realized Roberto was talking again. "... original Spanish chocolate. My family sent it over;; said I should save 'em for special occasions ..."

"Like last night?" she said, aghast at his casual demeanor.

"... or when they're needed," he finished.

Rahne shook her head and leaned back against the bedpost, her eyes back toward the window. "I'm not hungry, Roberto. In case ye forgot, I did quite a bit o' eatin' last night!"

"Okay, okay," Somehow not slightly put out by her retort, Roberto lay the box at the foot of her bed then backed toward the door. "I'll come back when your mood's improved."

He turned and put his hand on the door handle. "Can I ask ye somethin', though?"

He stopped and glanced over his shoulder, flinching as he noticed Rahne's smoldering glare. "What?"

"After all that's happened, all we've been through ..." Rahne paused and looked down slightly, her mouth still open as though testing the words. "Does nothing _get _to ye?"

"Get to me?" Roberto let go of the door handle, turned around, and leaned against the doorway. "We're mutants, surrounded by several billion _homo sapiens_, most of 'em idiots who'd love to stuff us in camps or just burn us where we stand. Not to mention the bad _hombres_ like Magneto, Apocalypse, Mystique, or any other mutant psycho out there. There gonna to be more fights, girl, and I don't see why we should call a therapist every time they happen."

Rahne stared at Roberto, then sharply beckoned toward her door. "Get out."

"Rahne, I'm here because I care ..."

"I don't want _your _care," Rahne returned her glare towards Roberto. "Not now, not ever. Now leave me alone."

For once, Roberto found himself with no retort ready. Instead, he silently turned away from Rahne and marched out of her room.

"Hey, Rob-" Kitty trailed off as Roberto strolled past her without so much as a glance in her direction. She slowly peered around the ajar door, a slightly bleary Danielle standing behind her. "Rahne? Can we come in?"

* * *

"Well ..." Jamie stammered.

"Tell ye what: why don't ye make up yer explanation on our way back down." Placing a hand on the back of Jamie's neck, Moira gently steered him toward the stairwell.

"But I ..."

"No buts!" Moira's grip tightened ever so slightly. "I don't know what Charles told ye, but none o' _my _patients are to ... oh!" Moira pulled back as Jamie faded from view. "How did ...?!!" She then heard a soft chuckle from the stairwell, and whirled to face a smiling Xavier. "Charles?! Don't know if ye noticed, but ye students are runnin' wild!"

"They are free spirits." Xavier grinned as he wheeled to join her. "In fact, I expect you'll find our runaway has been in bed this entire time."

"Do they always get away with these stunts?" Moira questioned as she began walking alongside Xavier. "None o' my patients would dare be wanderin' about during recovery."

Xavier laughed. "Oh, trust me, Moira: my students know very well where the lines are drawn."

"I should hope so. Speakin o' which ..." Moira stopped and turned to face Xavier. "I just got word from a friend: Craig's just been hospitalized. According to me friend, he's still seein' Armageddon play before 'is eyes."

"We both know, at least now, that Craig was never the most stable of personalities." All humor had fled Xavier's face as well.

"Oh, I know." Her bright eyes seemed to probe Xavier. "But I cannae help, but wonder ..."

"If someone gave him a push?" Before Moira could reply, Xavier went on. "I've had the same thoughts." As they reached the door, and Moira reached for the handle, he added. "In fact, I was just about to talk to someone about that."

* * *

"Do ye _have_ ta do this, Kitty?" Rahne pleaded, looking very uncomfortable as Kitty fiddled with her short, unbound red hair.

"Come on, Rahne!" Pulling the brush from the bag she had brought, Kitty proceeded to run through the red curls. "Your hair's, like, a beautiful color, and if we just straighten it out, or maybe give it a primp ..."

"Is that where you tie your hair around red-hot sticks?" asked a somewhat bewildered Danielle.

"Something like that; why, you want a go?"

Danielle raised her hands next to her head and shook her head. "What's wrong with just letting it grow?"

"Oh, I like her," Rahne proclaimed, aiming a thumb towards Danielle.

"Awww ...." Kitty scowled, letting the brush drop. "You too are, like, total party ..."

"I think I need a new best friend." Danielle looked at Rahne and threw an arm around her shoulder, throwing a teasing smile towards Kitty. "How about it?"

"I hope she gives you nightmares," Kitty grumbled, though a hint of a smile still tugged at the edge of her mouth.

"Excuse me?" The banter stopped as they finally noticed Xavier and Moira standing in the doorway, their expressions still grave. "Danielle, could I speak to you outside for a moment, please?"

By now, the seriousness had spread to the three girls' faces. "Okay," Danielle replied slowly.

Kitty took a short breath, remembering an old dream. _Danielle Moonstar is a problem we need to deal with_. "I'm coming too," she declared, standing up and moving directly to her friend's side.

Xavier was about to argue until he saw Kitty's hard expression. Not wishing to provoke an argument in front of Rahne, he simply nodded. "All right. Come, then."

Once they were outside, leaving Moira alone with Rahne, Danielle immediately blurted out "I'm sorry."

Still turning to face her, Xavier asked, "For what, exactly?"

Danielle wrapped her arms around herself, her eyes cast downward. "You want to ask me why."

"Danielle?" Kitty looked from her friend to her professor. "What's this about?"

"Reverend Craig," Xavier replied, his eyes still on Danielle.

"The nutty priest? The one with the gun, who tried to kill Rahne and then just snapped ...?"

"He didn't just snap," Danielle quietly interrupted. "Not on his own." She took a deep breath, and finally rose her eyes toward Kitty. "I could see what he was, what he was going to do ..." Her face tightened. "I ... don't know how, but ..."

"But you manifested his worst nightmares," Xavier finished quietly.

"Yes."

"Professor?!" Kitty could feel her stomach sinking. "Are you kicking her out again?!" she demanded.

"Have I ever?" His soft, yet stern, tone caught her off guard. "When have I ever condemned any of us for losing control of powers they did not fully understand?" His eyes seemed to focus on something far off. "I promised all of you guidance toward attaining self-control; if anyone, _I'm _to blame for these accidents." His eyes focused back on Danielle. "Just to be clear, Danielle will always be welcome at our Institute; in fact, I hope you will reconsider this time."

Danielle was already shaking her head. "Maybe sometime, but not yet. I ... I just can't be around too many people yet; their dreams are ..." She winced slightly. "... noisy." She snorted softly. "Besides, I still have class back home."

"All right." Folding his hands, Xavier smiled slightly. "Will you at least consider a weekly session?"

"It's a long drive."

"Not for meetings of the mind."

"Meetings of ...?"

"Come." Xavier wheeled about and beckoned towards Danielle. "I'll show you that much before you leave."

* * *

"So what ye wanna do?"

Rahne's raised her head from its spot on Moira's shoulder. "What?" she asked, somewhat groggily.

"Ye know I can always ..."

"Are ye pullin' me out again?" Rahne demanded, much more alert now.

Moira sighed and leaned her head against the wall. "We've been over this, Rahne: it's got you be your choice now."

"Ye don't seem ta think much o' mine." Rahne face had formed a scowl Moira now knew all too well.

_Teenagers. _"I just worry, is all," Moira replied. "Charles, he means well, but ...."

"But ye don't trust him?"

"Can I get through a sentence here, lass?" Moira snapped. "I'm not goin' into ancient history, here; I'm talkin' recent news. I've been around this place; it still looks like a bloody war zone! And the kids ...!" She shook her head. "They're all caught in the middle of it!"

"Ye think I'd be safer back home?" Rahne countered, shifting to a sitting position facing her mother. "That hypocrite had me in front of his little mob before I ever heard of this place! And, in case ya didn't notice, we're not the only kids in the middle o' things; we just make the news more often!"

Moira squeezed her eyes shut. "I know," she sighed. Opening her eyes, she looked directly at the young girl she'd taken as her own. "I just need ta know if ya sure about this, Rahne. Truth?" she challenged.

Rahne shook her head and stared out the window. "I sometimes wonder," she admitted. "I don't know how I take all the fighting; it's not the person I want t'be."

"What is?"

"I don't know," Rahne snapped. "But, whatever it is, I need to figure it out here. Okay?"

Moira closed her eyes again. A large part of her still longed to pull Rahne, her daughter in all but name, out of the target she had landed herself within; to hold her tight and keep her safe as she tried to do for so many. But then she looked at Rahne and remembered how quickly she had grown, how much she had suffered at the hands of her original family._ Crivvens, I hate this part._ "You'll keep a line open, won't ye?"

"I'll dig up the number," Rahne replied, a slight smile on her face. Suddenly, she reached out and squeezed her mother's hand. "And Ma? Ye know I'm not alone here, right?"

"Of course I ... Oh, that reminds me!" Moira quickly reached towards the dresser and picked up the flower she'd kept from her encounter at the stairwell. "What can ye tell me about this boy bringing ye flowers?"

"Ohh, ma ... wait, who brought me that?"

* * *

"And here we have our most overworked, and underappreciated, room in the mansion," Hank smiled as he lead Trish through the doorway. "The infirmary."

"_You_ try lying in bed during zhe day," grumbled Kurt as he nursed his bruised ribs. On the bed to his right lay a short form hiding under the white blankets. On the bed to his left sat Rogue, who seemed somewhat amused with the scene.

"Rogue?" Hank questioned. "Where has Remy gotten himself to?"

The southerner shrugged. "Don't ask meh; he snuck out when he heard there was a reporter coming."

"I see." His eyes turning toward the small lump, Hank reached out and pulled at the whitened sheets. "Gambit, I expected an exponentially better hiding place from ... you ..." he finished, staring in shock at a glaring Jamie Madrox.

"Told ya."

"Oh, Nightcrawler!" Noticing Kurt, Trish rushed over, tape recorder in hand. "Word is you gave a hell of a sermon last night."

"Don't say hell," Kurt mumbled. "It's a sin,"

"Don't mind mah brother," Rogue put in. "He doesn't usually lahke sermons."

"You're brother and sister?"

"You vould too, if zhey ended like zhis!" Kurt protested, ignoring Trish.

"Maybe ya gotta work on yer delivery ..."

"Hey! Not _my _fault some crazy zealot ...!"

Giving up on the bantering siblings, Trish circled towards Jamie, who had curled back up and pulled the blanket. "Hi; which one are you?" she asked.

"Is that a trick question?" asked a voice behind her.

Trish spun to face yet another Jamie Madrox. "Oh. Never mind," she stammered.

The sound of a small explosion reached them from outside, followed by shouts. Hank sighed and placed a hand over his eyes. "If you'll excuse me, Ms Tilby," he muttered, making his way out of the infirmary. "It seems our other students need ..." A thunderclap rolled over the mansion. "On second thought," Hank added as the skies outside darkened slightly and the shouts died down, "I'd say Ms. Munroe has everything in ..."

"_Watch out!_" Hank looked up and dove to the side, grabbing Trish and narrowly avoiding Bobby, who sailed into the infirmary, crashing into the nearest bed seconds after Rogue had leapt clear.

As the noise died down, Hank looked up and was confronted by a fallen bed, revealing a sputtering Remy, who had been hiding under the bed, lying near a stunned Bobby.

"_BOBBY DRAKE!!!_" yelled an angry-looking Jubilee as she stalked into the infirmary, hands and eyes glowing. Noticing the scene inside, she stopped and examined the downed Bobby. "Never mind; that'll do." Without another word, she turned and made her way back out.

Hank glanced down at Trish, who lay against him with a hand clapped over her mouth. "Ms. Tilby? Are you ...?"

Trish suddenly burst out laughing. "You know, according to my network," she giggled as she allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. "I'm supposed to be scared half to death about now!"

"Funny; I believe some of us are," Hank grinned over at Bobby, receiving a pained scowl in return.

Trish shook her head and looked directly at Hank. "Off the record?" she asked, still smiling. "I'm glad we finished the interview."

Hank smiled back. "Amen."

**[**

**Author's Notes**

Have faith, dear readers; we are a mere two chapters/episodes from the major season finale. And following that, the next few seasons will be organized a bit differently, which I'll explain in more detail after the finale.

Anyway, as always, I appreciate any thoughts, likes/dislikes, _any_ response on this particular chapter.

Coming up: two of the X men have not been themselves since the season started. What's eating them? Why won't they talk about it? Only when they get caught in the midst of an FOH attack will these issues come out.


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